Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs IEFA: how they differ
CTA and IEFA hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IEFA returned more over the year.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and IEFA hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in IEFA |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | ASML HOLDING 2.62% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.40% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.18% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | SHELL PLC 1.09% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.00% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | NOVARTIS AG 0.99% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | NESTLE SA 0.97% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.94% |
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 Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | iShares |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | Core MSCI EAFE |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +18.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | +0.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Holdings | 10 | 1650 |
CTA in plain words
CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
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, CTA or IEFA?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and IEFA returned +18.0%, so IEFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or IEFA?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and IEFA charges 0.07%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and IEFA overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA and 0% of IEFA 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.
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, CTA against IEFA, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cta-vs-iefa Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources