Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs VHT: how they differ
IEFA and VHT hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VHT returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard Health Care Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and VHT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IEFA | Only in VHT |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 2.62% | Eli Lilly & Co 14.07% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.40% | Johnson & Johnson 8.48% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.18% | AbbVie Inc 6.10% |
| SHELL PLC 1.09% | UnitedHealth Group Inc 5.46% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.00% | Merck & Co Inc 4.67% |
| NOVARTIS AG 0.99% | Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 2.93% |
| NESTLE SA 0.97% | Amgen Inc 2.87% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.94% | Gilead Sciences Inc 2.64% |
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 May 31, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | VHT Vanguard Health Care Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | Health Care |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +21.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | +4.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 85.6% |
| Holdings | 1650 | 401 |
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%.
VHT in plain words
VHT is an index equity fund tracking the Health Care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +21.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 401 positions, with the top ten at 52.0%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or VHT?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and VHT returned +21.6%, so VHT returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or VHT?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and VHT charges 0.09%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and VHT overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 86% of VHT 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 VHT, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vht Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources