Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EWU vs HDEF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWU returned +13.9% to HDEF's +17.8%; 17% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about EWU and HDEF
Net assets: $3.7bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF, and $2.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF.
Pair scorecard
HDEF costs 0.41 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.9 points; EWU is 1.6 times larger.
| Measure | EWU | HDEF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.9% | +17.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.3%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI United Kingdom Index | MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.50% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $3.7bn | $2.3bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 17% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 53.0% | 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, EWU and HDEF hold 17% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
17% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EWU and HDEF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWU
EWU tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.9% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.50% 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 67 positions, with the top ten at 53.0%. It sat 4.3% below its high of Aug 25, 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, EWU or HDEF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWU returned +13.9% and HDEF +17.8%.
- Which is cheaper, EWU or HDEF?
- HDEF is cheaper, by 0.41 percentage points a year. That is about $41 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, EWU against HDEF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewu-vs-hdef
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EWU against HDEF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewu-vs-hdef
[EWU against HDEF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewu-vs-hdef)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.