Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EFA vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EFA returned +12.1% to XLV's +25.6%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about EFA and XLV
Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $76.8bn for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and $47.0bn for State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLV costs 0.24 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 13.5 points; EFA is 1.6 times larger.
| Measure | EFA | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.1% | +25.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE Index | Health Care Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $76.8bn | $47.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 14.3% | 60.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and XLV 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 XLV 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.
XLV
XLV tracks an index of Health care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 62 positions, with the top ten at 60.6%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or XLV?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +12.1% and XLV +25.6%.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or XLV?
- XLV is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 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 XLV, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-xlv
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EFA against XLV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-xlv
[EFA against XLV (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-xlv)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.