Which returned more over the last year, EWG or HDEF?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWG returned +2.2% and HDEF +17.8%.

Which is cheaper, EWG or HDEF?

HDEF is cheaper, by 0.40 percentage points a year. That is about $40 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do EWG and HDEF overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EWG and 0% of HDEF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EWG vs HDEF: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWG returned +2.2% to HDEF's +17.8%; 7% of their weight is in the same names.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about EWG and HDEF

Net assets: $1.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI Germany ETF, and $2.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF.

EWG on its own →HDEF on its own →

At a glance

+2.2%

EWG total return, 1 year

+17.8%

HDEF total return, 1 year

0.49%

EWG expense ratio

0.09%

HDEF expense ratio

Pair scorecard

HDEF costs 0.40 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 15.6 points; HDEF is 1.5 times larger.

EWG vs HDEF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EWG	HDEF
Return
Measure	EWG	HDEF
Total return, 1 year	+2.2%	+17.8%
Drawdown
Measure	EWG	HDEF
Below its high	6.3%, high on Aug 28, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EWG	HDEF
What it tracks	MSCI Germany 25/50 Index	MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Index
Cost and size
Measure	EWG	HDEF
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.09%
Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026	$1.5bn	$2.3bn
Holdings
Measure	EWG	HDEF
Holdings in common	7%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	63.4%	41.1%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, EWG and HDEF hold 7% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

7% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EWG HDEF

ALLIANZ 9.90% 4.14%

DHL AG 3.24% 1.33%

BMW 1.10% 0.59%

HANNOVER RUECK 1.01% 0.41%

CONTINENTAL AG 0.44% 0.22%

BRENNTAG 0.44% 0.18%

DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA AG 0.26% 0.16%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in EWG

SAP 12.93%

SIEMENS N AG 11.52%

SIEMENS ENERGY N AG 5.96%

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM N AG 5.11%

MUENCHENER RUECKVERSICHERUNGS-GESE 4.21%

INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG 4.11%

DEUTSCHE BOERSE AG 3.40%

DEUTSCHE BANK AG 2.97%

Only in HDEF

ROCHE HOLDING AG 5.02%

NESTLE' SA/AG 4.99%

NOVARTIS AG 4.98%

SHELL PLC 4.75%

TOTALENERGIES SE 4.21%

NOVO NORDISK A/S 3.59%

IBERDROLA SA 3.37%

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO PLC 3.04%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EWG iShares MSCI Germany ETF HDEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF

Issuer iShares Xtrackers

What it is Tracks an index Tracks an index

Total return, 1 year +2.2% +17.8%

Its benchmark over the same days +14.3% (ACWX) +12.1% (EFA)

Gap to its benchmark −12.1 pts vs ACWX +5.7 pts vs EFA

Expense ratio 0.49% 0.09%

Already in the S&P 500 0.0% 0.0%

Holdings 52 114

Net assets, EWG as of Oct 28, 2026 and HDEF as of Oct 27, 2026 $1.5bn $2.3bn

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

Alert

About each fund

EWG

EWG tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.2% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% 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 52 positions, with the top ten at 63.4%. It sat 6.3% below its high of Aug 28, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

HDEF

HDEF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.8% with distributions reinvested, against +12.1% for its benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 29, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 114 positions, with the top ten at 41.1%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EWG or HDEF?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWG returned +2.2% and HDEF +17.8%.
Which is cheaper, EWG or HDEF?: HDEF is cheaper, by 0.40 percentage points a year. That is about $40 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do EWG and HDEF overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EWG and 0% of HDEF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

EWG vs EWP EWG vs HEDJ EWG vs EWL EUFN vs EWG HDEF vs IDV HDEF vs IEUR HDEF vs VGK HDEF vs IEV

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EWG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EWG prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EWG ↗

HDEF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

HDEF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Xtrackers website ↗

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, EWG against HDEF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewg-vs-hdef

Open data →

Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.