Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EWJ vs IXUS: how they differ
EWJ and IXUS hold 13% of their weight in the same names, and EWJ returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI Japan ETF and iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and IXUS hold 13% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EWJ | IXUS |
|---|---|---|
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP | 4.70% | 0.59% |
| TOYOTA MOTOR | 3.41% | 0.43% |
| SOFTBANK GROUP | 3.04% | 0.39% |
| ADVANTEST | 2.98% | 0.38% |
| SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP | 3.01% | 0.38% |
| TOKYO ELECTRON | 2.82% | 0.36% |
| HITACHI | 2.75% | 0.35% |
| KIOXIA HOLDINGS | 2.68% | 0.34% |
| RECRUIT HOLDINGS LTD | 2.52% | 0.32% |
| SONY GROUP | 2.54% | 0.32% |
| MIZUHO FINANCIAL GROUP | 2.40% | 0.31% |
| MITSUBISHI | 1.83% | 0.23% |
| Only in EWJ | Only in IXUS |
|---|---|
| ANA HOLDINGS 0.06% | TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING 4.49% |
| CASH COLLATERAL JPY UBFUT 0.01% | SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD 2.21% |
| SK HYNIX 1.79% | |
| ASML HOLDING 1.55% | |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.84% | |
| TENCENT HOLDINGS 0.78% | |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 0.70% | |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.68% |
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 iShares MSCI Japan ETF | IXUS iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI Japan | Core MSCI Total International Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | +26.5% | +22.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +9.0 pts | +4.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 171 | 2540 |
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%.
IXUS in plain words
IXUS is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI Total International Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +22.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 2540 positions, with the top ten at 14.3%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or IXUS?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +26.5% and IXUS returned +22.2%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or IXUS?
- EWJ charges 0.49% a year and IXUS charges 0.07%, so IXUS is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EWJ and IXUS overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EWJ and 0% of IXUS by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 13% 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, EWJ against IXUS, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-ixus Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources