Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs IWM: how they differ
EFA and IWM hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and IWM returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Russell 2000 ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and IWM hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| AIRBUS GROUP | 0.61% | 0.16% |
| ORANGE SA | 0.15% | 0.20% |
| UCB SA | 0.13% | 0.13% |
| LVMH | 0.53% | 0.12% |
| CREDIT AGRICOLE SA | 0.09% | 0.24% |
| FINECOBANK BANCA FINECO | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| MTU AERO ENGINES HOLDING AG | 0.10% | 0.07% |
| TERNA RETE ELETTRICA NAZIONALE | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| LAIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR | 0.55% | 0.05% |
| NN GROUP | 0.10% | 0.05% |
| CONTINENTAL AG | 0.04% | 0.13% |
| SIEMENS ENERGY N AG | 0.57% | 0.04% |
| Only in EFA | Only in IWM |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 3.01% | MOOG INC CLASS A 0.34% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.61% | UMB FINANCIAL 0.34% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.36% | CYTOKINETICS 0.32% |
| SHELL PLC 1.25% | GLAUKOS 0.32% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.15% | JFROG 0.32% |
| NOVARTIS AG 1.15% | BRIGHTSPRING HEALTH SERVICES INC 0.31% |
| NESTLE SA 1.12% | BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC 0.31% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.09% | FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS INC 0.31% |
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.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | Russell 2000 |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +21.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +3.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.19% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 670 | 1749 |
EFA in plain words
EFA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.2% 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 670 positions, with the top ten at 13.8%.
IWM in plain words
IWM is an index equity fund tracking the Russell 2000. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +21.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% 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 1749 positions, with the top ten at 3.2%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or IWM?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and IWM returned +21.2%, so IWM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or IWM?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and IWM charges 0.19%, so IWM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and IWM overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of IWM by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 1% 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, EFA against IWM, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-iwm Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources