ETF Versus

IEFA vs IJH

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF vs iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

IEFA iShares

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.33%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $179.4B ER: 0.07% Yield: 3.33% Since: Oct 18, 2012
IJH iShares

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.26%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $111.0B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.26% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

IJH has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.05% vs 0.07%), saving about $40 per $10,000 over 10 years. IEFA has edged ahead over the past year (33.2% vs 31.3%). Income investors may prefer IEFA for its higher yield (3.3% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEFA IJH
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 3.3% 1.3%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category International Developed US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 83 96 109 122 135 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IEFA +29.1%
IJH +31.9%

Performance Comparison

Period IEFA IJH Difference
1 Month +3.15% +3.07% +0.08%
3 Months +2.82% +1.81% +1.01%
6 Months +9.76% +9.27% +0.49%
YTD +5.46% +5.32% +0.14%
1 Year +33.17% +31.28% +1.89%
3 Years +41.47% +41.49% -0.02%
5 Years +29.07% +31.89% -2.82%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEFA Fees IJH Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $140 $100 $40
$10,000 20 years $600 $430 $171
$10,000 30 years $1,938 $1,388 $550
$50,000 10 years $698 $499 $199
$50,000 30 years $9,692 $6,941 $2,751
$100,000 30 years $19,383 $13,882 $5,501

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEFA IJH
Annualized Volatility 16.7% 19.8%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -24.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.15

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEFA IJH
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.18 $0.89
Dividend Yield 3.34% 1.26%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IEFA Top Holdings

NameWeight
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML2.18%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.26%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.22%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.16%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP1.11%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.03%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN1.02%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA0.84%
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft!etr/SIE0.82%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83060.81%

IJH Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.88%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.81%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.81%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.75%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.75%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.71%
FabrinetFN0.66%
Royal Gold, Inc.RGLD0.65%
MasTec, Inc.MTZ0.64%
Carpenter Technology CorporationCRS0.64%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJH if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IEFA if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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