IEFA vs XLK
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF vs State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF
Last updated: 2026-04-10
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.
State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.54%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.
Quick Verdict
Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.07% vs 0.08%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, XLK has significantly outperformed with a 46.8% return vs 33.2%. Income investors may prefer IEFA for its higher yield (3.3% vs 0.5%).
Key Metrics
Performance Chart
Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)
Performance Comparison
Fee Impact Over Time
Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns
Risk Metrics
Based on 5 years of daily returns
Dividend Comparison
Top Holdings
0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)
IEFA Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML | 2.18% |
| AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN | 1.26% |
| HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA | 1.22% |
| Novartis AG!swx/NOVN | 1.16% |
| Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP | 1.11% |
| Shell plc!lon/SHEL | 1.03% |
| Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN | 1.02% |
| Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA | 0.84% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft!etr/SIE | 0.82% |
| Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/8306 | 0.81% |
XLK Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CorporationNVDA | 15.30% |
| Apple Inc.AAPL | 13.10% |
| Microsoft CorporationMSFT | 9.49% |
| Broadcom Inc.AVGO | 5.76% |
| Micron Technology, Inc.MU | 3.96% |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD | 3.22% |
| Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO | 2.74% |
| Lam Research CorporationLRCX | 2.69% |
| Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT | 2.63% |
| Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR | 2.49% |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose XLK 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.