Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEFA vs VYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEFA returned +12.3% to VYM's +18.0%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $190.4bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, and $78.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF.
Pair scorecard
VYM costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.7 points; IEFA is 2.4 times larger.
| Measure | IEFA | VYM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.3% | +18.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE IMI Index | FTSE High Dividend Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $190.2bn | $78.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.3% | 26.2% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and VYM hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IEFA and VYM 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.
VYM
VYM tracks an index of US high dividend. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 595 positions, with the top ten at 26.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or VYM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +12.3% and VYM +18.0%.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or VYM?
- VYM is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 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 VYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vym
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEFA against VYM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vym
[IEFA against VYM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vym)
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