Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWX vs IEFA: how they differ
ACWX and IEFA hold 58% of their weight in the same names, and ACWX returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWX and IEFA hold 58% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWX | IEFA |
|---|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING | 1.77% | 2.62% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC | 0.94% | 1.40% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG | 0.79% | 1.18% |
| SHELL PLC | 0.70% | 1.09% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP | 0.67% | 1.00% |
| NOVARTIS AG | 0.67% | 0.99% |
| NESTLE SA | 0.65% | 0.97% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC | 0.63% | 0.94% |
| BHP GROUP LTD | 0.61% | 0.91% |
| SIEMENS N AG | 0.58% | 0.86% |
| ALLIANZ | 0.51% | 0.76% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 0.49% | 0.72% |
| Only in ACWX | Only in IEFA |
|---|---|
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING 5.09% | BEAZLEY PLC 0.04% |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD 2.50% | BLUESCOPE STEEL 0.04% |
| SK HYNIX 2.04% | GAZTRANSPORT & TECHNIGAZ SA 0.04% |
| TENCENT HOLDINGS 0.88% | IMI PLC 0.04% |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.76% | MEBUKI FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.04% |
| ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING 0.61% | ROHM 0.04% |
| MEDIATEK 0.57% | SHIZUOKA FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.04% |
| TORONTO DOMINION 0.53% | WEIR PLC 0.04% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| ACWX iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF | IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI ex U.S. | Core MSCI EAFE |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.0% | +18.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.5 pts | +0.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Holdings | 1515 | 1650 |
ACWX in plain words
ACWX is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI ACWI ex U.S.. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +23.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1515 positions, with the top ten at 16.1%.
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 Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1650 positions, with the top ten at 12.0%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWX or IEFA?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWX returned +23.0% and IEFA returned +18.0%, so ACWX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWX or IEFA?
- ACWX charges 0.32% a year and IEFA charges 0.07%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWX and IEFA overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of ACWX and 0% of IEFA by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 58% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, ACWX against IEFA, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/acwx-vs-iefa Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources