Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs IXUS: how they differ
IEFA and IXUS hold 57% of their weight in the same names, and IXUS returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and IXUS hold 57% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IEFA | IXUS |
|---|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING | 2.62% | 1.55% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC | 1.40% | 0.84% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG | 1.18% | 0.70% |
| SHELL PLC | 1.09% | 0.62% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP | 1.00% | 0.59% |
| NOVARTIS AG | 0.99% | 0.59% |
| NESTLE SA | 0.97% | 0.58% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC | 0.94% | 0.56% |
| BHP GROUP LTD | 0.91% | 0.54% |
| SIEMENS N AG | 0.86% | 0.51% |
| ALLIANZ | 0.76% | 0.45% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 0.72% | 0.43% |
| Only in IEFA | Only in IXUS |
|---|---|
| USD CASH 0.03% | TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING 4.49% |
| 4DMEDICAL 0.01% | SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD 2.21% |
| 4IMPRINT GROUP PLC 0.01% | SK HYNIX 1.79% |
| ADDLIFE CLASS B 0.01% | TENCENT HOLDINGS 0.78% |
| AEM HOLDINGS LTD 0.01% | ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.68% |
| AEON REIT INVESTMENT REIT CORP 0.01% | ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING 0.53% |
| AICA KOGYO LTD 0.01% | MEDIATEK 0.51% |
| AICHI FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.01% | TORONTO DOMINION 0.47% |
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.
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | IXUS iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | Core MSCI Total International Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +22.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | +4.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 1650 | 2540 |
IEFA in plain words
IEFA is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 1650 positions, with the top ten at 12.0%.
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. 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, IEFA or IXUS?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and IXUS returned +22.2%, so IXUS returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or IXUS?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and IXUS charges 0.07%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and IXUS overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 0% of IXUS by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 57% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, IEFA against IXUS, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-ixus Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources