Which returned more over the last year, EFA or PFF?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +12.1% and PFF −4.2%.

Which is cheaper, EFA or PFF?

EFA is cheaper, by 0.13 percentage points a year. That is about $13 on $10,000 held for a year. 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 0% of PFF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EFA vs PFF: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EFA returned +12.1% to PFF's −4.2%; 1% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $76.8bn for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and $11.8bn for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF.

EFA on its own →PFF on its own →

At a glance

+12.1%

EFA total return, 1 year

−4.2%

PFF total return, 1 year

0.32%

EFA expense ratio

0.45%

PFF expense ratio

Pair scorecard

EFA costs 0.13 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.3 points; EFA is 6.5 times larger.

EFA vs PFF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EFA	PFF
Return
Measure	EFA	PFF
Total return, 1 year	+12.1%	−4.2%
Drawdown
Measure	EFA	PFF
Below its high	4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026	7.1%, high on May 8, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EFA	PFF
What it tracks	MSCI EAFE Index	ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index
Cost and size
Measure	EFA	PFF
Expense ratio	0.32%	0.45%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$76.8bn	$11.8bn
Holdings
Measure	EFA	PFF
Holdings in common	1%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	14.3%	22.7%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, EFA and PFF hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

1% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EFA PFF

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM N AG 0.45% 0.26%

BANCO SANTANDER 0.84% 0.17%

PRUDENTIAL PLC 0.14% 0.22%

ARISTOCRAT LEISURE 0.11% 0.43%

HELVETIA BALOISE HOLDING N AG 0.09% 0.16%

COMPAGNIE FINANCIERE RICHEMONT SA 0.50% 0.05%

KONINKLIJKE AHOLD DELHAIZE 0.15% 0.04%

LAND SECURITIES GROUP REIT PLC 0.03% 0.06%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in EFA

ASML HOLDING 2.98%

ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.58%

SHELL 1.42%

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.38%

NOVARTIS AG 1.33%

ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.21%

NESTLE SA 1.21%

SAP 1.13%

Only in PFF

STRATEGY INC 3.53%

BOEING CO 3.11%

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE CONV PR 2.36%

ALPHABET INC 2.31%

SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC 2.27%

ALPHABET INC 2.26%

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY SERIES L 2.14%

ORACLE CORPORATION 2.06%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of Developed markets ex US Tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities

Total return, 1 year +12.1% −4.2%

Its benchmark over the same days +14.3% (ACWX) +13.6% (MLRG)

Gap to its benchmark −2.2 pts vs ACWX −17.8 pts vs MLRG

Expense ratio 0.32% 0.45%

Already in the S&P 500 0.0% 0.0%

Holdings 665 453

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $76.8bn $11.8bn

EFA and PFF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

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.

PFF

PFF tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −4.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.45% 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 453 positions, with the top ten at 22.7%. It sat 7.1% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EFA or PFF?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +12.1% and PFF −4.2%.
Which is cheaper, EFA or PFF?: EFA is cheaper, by 0.13 percentage points a year. That is about $13 on $10,000 held for a year. 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 0% of PFF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

EFA vs SPSB EFA vs EMB EFA vs VGLT EFA vs VUSB PFF vs VXUS IEFA vs PFF PFF vs VEA PFF vs SCHF

Where to next

EFA on its own →PFF on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →EFA dividend history →EFA holdings →PFF dividend history →PFF holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

EFA and PFF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EFA prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EFA ↗

PFF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for PFF ↗

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 PFF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-pff

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