Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs URTH: how they differ
EFA and URTH hold 23% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and URTH hold 23% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | URTH |
|---|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING | 3.01% | 0.73% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC | 1.61% | 0.39% |
| SHELL PLC | 1.25% | 0.29% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP | 1.15% | 0.28% |
| NOVARTIS AG | 1.15% | 0.28% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC | 1.09% | 0.27% |
| NESTLE SA | 1.12% | 0.27% |
| BHP GROUP LTD | 1.05% | 0.25% |
| SIEMENS N AG | 0.98% | 0.24% |
| ALLIANZ | 0.88% | 0.21% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 0.83% | 0.20% |
| TOTALENERGIES | 0.80% | 0.20% |
| Only in EFA | Only in URTH |
|---|---|
| SEK CASH 0.05% | NVIDIA 5.52% |
| DAITO TRUST CONSTRUCTION LTD 0.03% | APPLE 5.28% |
| REDEIA CORPORACION SA 0.03% | MICROSOFT 3.82% |
| AIRTEL AFRICA PLC 0.02% | AMAZON.COM INC 2.67% |
| AVOLTA AG 0.02% | ALPHABET CLASS A 2.14% |
| AYVENS SA 0.02% | BROADCOM INC 1.79% |
| BIOMERIEUX SA 0.02% | ALPHABET CLASS C 1.70% |
| BUZZI 0.02% | META PLATFORMS CLASS A 1.56% |
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 | URTH iShares MSCI World ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | MSCI World |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +17.4% |
| 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% | 0.24% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 70.3% |
| Holdings | 670 | 1230 |
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%.
URTH in plain words
URTH is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI World. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.24% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 70% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1230 positions, with the top ten at 26.8%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or URTH?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and URTH returned +17.4%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or URTH?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and URTH charges 0.24%, so URTH is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and URTH overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 70% of URTH by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 23% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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 URTH, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-urth Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources