Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EFA vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EFA returned +12.1% to LQD's −3.4%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about EFA and LQD
Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $76.8bn for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and $30.6bn for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
LQD costs 0.18 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 15.5 points; EFA is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | EFA | LQD |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.1% | −3.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 6.3%, high on Sep 22, 2021 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE Index | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.14% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $76.8bn | $30.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 14.3% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and LQD hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EFA and LQD on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EFA
EFA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 665 positions, with the top ten at 14.3%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
LQD
LQD tracks an index of US investment grade bonds. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.4% with distributions reinvested, against −1.2% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year. It sat 6.3% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or LQD?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +12.1% and LQD −3.4%.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or LQD?
- LQD is cheaper, by 0.18 percentage points a year. That is about $18 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. 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, EFA against LQD, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-lqd
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EFA against LQD. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-lqd
[EFA against LQD (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-lqd)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.