ETF Versus

IEFA vs IJR

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF vs iShares Core S&P Small-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
IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.23%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $96.3B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.23% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.06% vs 0.07%), so fees are not a differentiator here. IJR has edged ahead over the past year (38.1% vs 33.2%). Income investors may prefer IEFA for its higher yield (3.3% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEFA IJR
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 3.3% 1.2%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category International Developed US Small 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%
IJR +18.7%

Performance Comparison

Period IEFA IJR Difference
1 Month +3.15% +4.49% -1.34%
3 Months +2.82% +2.82% +0.00%
6 Months +9.76% +11.61% -1.85%
YTD +5.46% +7.20% -1.74%
1 Year +33.17% +38.09% -4.92%
3 Years +41.47% +35.49% +5.98%
5 Years +29.07% +18.67% +10.40%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEFA Fees IJR Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $140 $120 $20
$10,000 20 years $600 $515 $85
$10,000 30 years $1,938 $1,664 $275
$50,000 10 years $698 $598 $99
$50,000 30 years $9,692 $8,318 $1,373
$100,000 30 years $19,383 $16,637 $2,747

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEFA IJR
Annualized Volatility 16.7% 21.6%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -28.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.06

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEFA IJR
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.18 $1.60
Dividend Yield 3.34% 1.23%
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%

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.29%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.60%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.57%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.53%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.53%
Element Solutions IncESI0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.50%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.50%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.48%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose IEFA if...

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

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