IEFA — iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

IEFA Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in IEFA over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

IEFA Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: IEFA's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, trading under the ticker IEFA, operates within the International Developed category managed by the issuer iShares. This fund holds an overall rank of #67 among 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of B with a score of 73.2 out of 100. With assets under management totaling $187 billion and a current price of $96.75, the fund demonstrates significant investor adoption relative to the 22 other ETFs tracked in its specific category. The fund offers a low-cost structure with an expense ratio of just 0.07% while providing an income profile reflected in a dividend yield of 3.40%. The substantial asset base and competitive pricing suggest a mature vehicle that has attracted considerable capital within the international developed equity space.

Short-term performance shows a slight decline with a one-day return of -0.08% and a one-week return of -0.18%. However, the fund exhibits positive momentum over longer horizons, posting a one-month return of +1.32% and a three-month return of +3.88%. This upward trajectory continues into the six-month period with a return of +4.78% and a year-to-date gain of +8.84%. The one-year return accelerates significantly to +18.25%, indicating strong recent performance compared to shorter intervals. Over a three-year period, the fund has delivered a cumulative return of +58.43%, highlighting sustained growth over the medium to long term. The data suggests a pattern where short-term volatility is overshadowed by consistent gains across the one-year and three-year metrics.

The fund carries a Moderate volatility label and a beta of 0.89, indicating that its price movements are generally less sensitive to market fluctuations than the broader benchmark. A Sharpe ratio of 0.85 suggests the fund has generated a reasonable amount of excess return per unit of risk taken over the measured period. Despite these metrics, the maximum drawdown of -13.76% illustrates the potential for significant temporary losses during market downturns. The combination of a beta below 1.0 and a moderate volatility rating implies the fund tends to experience smaller swings than the overall market in both directions. However, the recorded drawdown confirms that the fund is not immune to sharp declines even with its defensive beta characteristics. Investors should consider that while the Sharpe ratio reflects efficient risk-adjusted returns, the historical maximum loss remains a notable factor in the fund's risk profile.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

IEFA Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-04-30 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 11.4% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how IEFA's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With IEFA

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with IEFA's top 10 — EFA overlaps most, holding 9 of the same companies as IEFA's top 10 (10.6% of IEFA's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.65% (as of 2026-07-27) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.67 (as of 2026-07-27) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

Trade-Weighted US Dollar Index: 120.71 (as of 2026-07-24) — Measures the US dollar’s strength against major trading-partner currencies — dollar moves directly affect the US-dollar value of this fund’s international holdings.

IEFA Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is — and average daily volume is 9.8M/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $187B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: IEFA is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

IEFA Performance History

How IEFA Compares to Other International Developed ETFs