Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs PFF: how they differ
EFA and PFF hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and PFF hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | PFF |
|---|---|---|
| SANOFI SA | 0.42% | 0.17% |
| PRUDENTIAL PLC | 0.15% | 0.13% |
| ARISTOCRAT LEISURE | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| DEUTSCHE TELEKOM N AG | 0.50% | 0.07% |
| HELVETIA BALOISE HOLDING N AG | 0.09% | 0.06% |
| COMPAGNIE FINANCIERE RICHEMONT SA | 0.52% | 0.05% |
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY | 0.03% | 0.61% |
| KONINKLIJKE AHOLD DELHAIZE | 0.14% | 0.03% |
| LAND SECURITIES GROUP REIT PLC | 0.03% | 0.06% |
| Only in EFA | Only in PFF |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 3.01% | BOEING CO 3.54% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.61% | ORACLE CORPORATION 2.31% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.36% | SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC 2.30% |
| SHELL PLC 1.25% | ALPHABET INC 2.24% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.15% | HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE CONV PR 2.06% |
| NOVARTIS AG 1.15% | ALBEMARLE CORP 1.12% |
| NESTLE SA 1.12% | MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED 0.89% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.09% | BRIGHTSPRING HEALTH SERVICES UNITS 0.74% |
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 | PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | Preferred and Income Securities |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | −0.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | −18.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.45% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 21.6% |
| Holdings | 670 | 461 |
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%.
PFF in plain words
PFF is an index equity fund tracking the Preferred and Income Securities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.45% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 461 positions, with the top ten at 23.1%. It sat 3.2% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or PFF?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and PFF returned −0.8%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or PFF?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and PFF charges 0.45%, so EFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and PFF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 22% of PFF 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 PFF, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-pff Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources