EFA — iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

EFA Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in EFA 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.

EFA Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: EFA'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 MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) is an international developed market fund, issued by iShares. It ranks #122 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories, indicating a moderate position in the overall ETF landscape. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.32%, which is relatively low, and a dividend yield of 1.64%, providing a modest income stream for investors. With an asset under management (AUM) of $78.0B, EFA is one of the larger funds in its category, suggesting strong investor adoption and liquidity. The price of $108.24 reflects its size and popularity in the market.

Over the past year, the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has delivered a strong return of 21.11%, with a 3-year return of 67.57%, indicating a positive trend over both short and long-term horizons. The 1-month return of 5.19% and the 3-month return of 5.53% suggest a slight acceleration in performance. However, the 1-week return of -0.37% and the 1-day return of +0.83% show some short-term volatility, with the fund experiencing a brief dip in value recently. This pattern of short-term fluctuations followed by recovery aligns with a generally positive trend over the longer term.

The iShares MSCI EAFE ETF is labeled as having a moderate volatility, with a beta of 0.87, indicating that it is less volatile than the overall market. Its Sharpe ratio of 1.02 suggests that the fund provides a good risk-adjusted return, meaning that the returns are commensurate with the level of risk taken. The maximum drawdown of -14.05% indicates that the fund has experienced a significant decline in value, but it has recovered from this downturn. This combination of moderate volatility, a positive Sharpe ratio, and a manageable drawdown suggests that the fund is suitable for investors who are looking for a balanced approach to international developed market exposure, with the potential for steady growth and moderate risk tolerance.

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

EFA Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-04-30 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 13.3% 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 EFA's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With EFA

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with EFA's top 10 — IEFA overlaps most, holding 9 of the same companies as EFA's top 10 (12.4% of EFA'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: 4.69% (as of 2026-08-20) — 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): 16.01 (as of 2026-08-20) — 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 2026-07-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

Trade-Weighted US Dollar Index: 118.90 (as of 2026-08-14) — 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.

EFA Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 0.39% and average daily volume is 12.2M/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 $78.0B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: EFA 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.

EFA Performance History

How EFA Compares to Other International Developed ETFs