Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs XLU: how they differ
IEFA and XLU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IEFA returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IEFA | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 2.62% | NEXTERA ENERGY INC 13.01% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.40% | SOUTHERN CO/THE 7.49% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.18% | DUKE ENERGY CORP 7.04% |
| SHELL PLC 1.09% | CONSTELLATION ENERGY 6.92% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.00% | AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER 5.08% |
| NOVARTIS AG 0.99% | DOMINION ENERGY INC 4.33% |
| NESTLE SA 0.97% | SEMPRA 4.16% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.94% | ENTERGY CORP 3.66% |
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 | XLU State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 1650 | 32 |
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%.
XLU in plain words
XLU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.8%. It sat 10.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and XLU returned +2.4%, so IEFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or XLU?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 100% of XLU 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 XLU, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-xlu Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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