DFIC vs QEFA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 21, 2026, DFIC returned +18.6% to QEFA's +16.1%; 40% of their weight is in the same names. Net assets: $14.8bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Dimensional International Core Equity 2 ETF, and $1.0bn on Oct 20, 2026 for State Street SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF.
DFIC costs 0.08 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.5 points; DFIC is 14.0 times larger.
| DFIC | QEFA | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.22% | 0.30% |
| Net assets, as of Jul 31, 2026 | $14.8bn | $1.1bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.6% | +16.1% |
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | MSCI EAFE Factor Mix A-Series Index |
| Holdings in common | 40% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 6.9% | 15.1% |
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 20, 2026.
DFIC and QEFA are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. DFIC follows No index, actively managed and QEFA follows MSCI EAFE Factor Mix A-Series Index.
- Holdings in common. 40% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 20, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 21, 2026 DFIC returned +18.6% and QEFA +16.1% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.5 points.
Data as of Oct 21, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.
Take this comparison to a client
The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.
Not advice. The brief uses the figures on this page, with the data date and a report id. Saved comparisons are listed on your saved page; privacy.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, DFIC and QEFA hold 40% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 20, 2026.
half
40% in common
On the same fields
DFIC and QEFA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About DFIC
DFIC is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 21, 2026 it returned +18.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.22% a year. By its holdings filed for Jul 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 4,118 positions, with the top ten at 6.9%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 21, 2026.
About QEFA
QEFA tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 21, 2026 it returned +16.1% with distributions reinvested, against +16.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI All Country World ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.30% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 20, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 626 positions, with the top ten at 15.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, DFIC or QEFA?
- In the year to Oct 21, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DFIC returned +18.6% and QEFA +16.1%.
- Which is cheaper, DFIC or QEFA?
- DFIC is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, DFIC against QEFA, data as of Oct 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfic-vs-qefa
ETFIQ. (Oct 21, 2026). DFIC against QEFA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfic-vs-qefa
[DFIC against QEFA (ETFIQ, Oct 21, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfic-vs-qefa)
Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.