Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEFA vs REMX: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEFA returned +12.3% to REMX's −19.2%, and IEFA charges 0.07% to REMX's 0.53%.
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Net assets: $190.4bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, and $1.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF.
Pair scorecard
IEFA costs 0.46 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 31.5 points; IEFA is far larger, $190.1bn against $1.5bn.
| Measure | IEFA | REMX |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.3% | −19.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Below its all-time high | 75.1%, high on Apr 11, 2011 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE IMI Index | Rare earth and critical materials |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | behind by 32.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.53% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $190.1bn | $1.5bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.3% | 61% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and REMX hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IEFA and REMX on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IEFA
IEFA tracks the MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.3% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 2,629 positions, with the top ten at 12.3%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
REMX
By weight, 9% of REMX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 61% of the fund across 32 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −19.2% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was behind by 32.6 pts. It sits 75.1% below its all-time high of Apr 11, 2011.
Questions people ask
- Are IEFA and REMX in the same category?
- IEFA is a stock ETF and REMX is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or REMX?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +12.3% and REMX −19.2%.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or REMX?
- IEFA is cheaper, by 0.46 percentage points a year. That is about $46 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.
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ETFIQ, IEFA against REMX, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-remx
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEFA against REMX. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-remx
[IEFA against REMX (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-remx)
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