Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs XLB: how they differ
IEFA and XLB hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IEFA returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and XLB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IEFA | Only in XLB |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.23% | Linde PLC 14.08% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.25% | Newmont Corp 5.85% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.17% | Freeport-McMoRan Inc 5.31% |
| Novartis AG 1.11% | Corteva Inc 4.97% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.03% | Sherwin-Williams Co/The 4.95% |
| SHELL PLC 1.03% | Ecolab Inc 4.73% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 0.90% | Vulcan Materials Co 4.72% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.84% | CRH PLC 4.67% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | XLB State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | Materials |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +12.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | −5.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 2632 | 26 |
IEFA in plain words
IEFA is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2632 positions, with the top ten at 11.5%.
XLB in plain words
XLB is an index equity fund tracking the Materials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 26 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 26, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or XLB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and XLB returned +12.0%, so IEFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or XLB?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and XLB charges 0.08%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and XLB overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 100% of XLB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, IEFA against XLB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IEFA-XLB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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