Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs SPYM: how they differ
EFA and SPYM hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and State Street(R) SPDR(R) Portfolio S&P 500(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and SPYM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EFA | Only in SPYM |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 3.01% | NVIDIA CORP 8.07% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.61% | APPLE INC 7.32% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.36% | MICROSOFT CORP 5.58% |
| SHELL PLC 1.25% | AMAZON.COM INC 3.76% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.15% | ALPHABET INC CL A 2.98% |
| NOVARTIS AG 1.15% | BROADCOM INC 2.61% |
| NESTLE SA 1.12% | ALPHABET INC CL C 2.38% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.09% | META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 2.16% |
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 | SPYM State Street(R) SPDR(R) Portfolio S&P 500(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | S&P 500 |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +17.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +0.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 1.30% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 670 | 507 |
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%.
SPYM in plain words
SPYM is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 1.30% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 507 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or SPYM?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and SPYM returned +17.6%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or SPYM?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and SPYM charges 1.30%, so EFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and SPYM overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 100% of SPYM by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% 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 SPYM, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-spym Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources