Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs VEU: how they differ
IEFA and VEU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VEU returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and VEU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IEFA | Only in VEU |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 2.62% | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.83% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.40% | ASML Holding NV 1.45% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.18% | SK hynix Inc 1.24% |
| SHELL PLC 1.09% | Tencent Holdings Ltd 0.97% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.00% | HSBC Holdings PLC 0.81% |
| NOVARTIS AG 0.99% | Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 0.76% |
| NESTLE SA 0.97% | AstraZeneca PLC 0.73% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.94% | Novartis AG 0.73% |
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 Apr 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | FTSE All-World ex-US |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +22.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | +5.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 1650 | 3860 |
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%.
VEU in plain words
VEU is an index equity fund tracking the FTSE All-World ex-US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +22.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3860 positions, with the top ten at 13.6%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or VEU?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and VEU returned +22.9%, so VEU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or VEU?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and VEU charges 0.04%, so VEU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and VEU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 0% of VEU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% 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 VEU, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-veu Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources