Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

EWJ vs GOVT: how they differ

EWJ and GOVT hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EWJ returned more over the year.

iShares MSCI Japan ETF and iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and GOVT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in EWJOnly in GOVT
MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 4.70%US TREASURY N/B 0.60%
TOYOTA MOTOR 3.41%TREASURY NOTE (OTR) 0.55%
SOFTBANK GROUP 3.04%TREASURY BOND (OLD) 0.42%
SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP 3.01%TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.25%
ADVANTEST 2.98%TREASURY BOND (OTR) 0.16%
TOKYO ELECTRON 2.82%BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 0.11%
HITACHI 2.75%TREASURY NOTE (OLD) 0.11%
KIOXIA HOLDINGS 2.68%TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 0.08%

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.

EWJ and GOVT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWJ
iShares MSCI Japan ETF
GOVT
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesiShares
What it isMSCI JapanU.S. Treasury Bond
Total return, 1 year+26.5%−1.0%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500+9.0 pts−18.5 pts
Expense ratio0.49%0.05%
Holdings171216

EWJ in plain words

EWJ is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +26.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% 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 171 positions, with the top ten at 30.4%.

GOVT in plain words

GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or GOVT?
In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +26.5% and GOVT returned −1.0%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, EWJ or GOVT?
EWJ charges 0.49% a year and GOVT charges 0.05%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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.

EWJ against GOVT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, EWJ against GOVT, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-govt Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources