IEFA vs. IEF
IEFA (iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF) and IEF (iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IEFA is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net), while IEF is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IEFA returned 9.90%/yr vs 0.59%/yr for IEF. At a correlation of -0.08, they often move in opposite directions. IEFA charges 0.07%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for IEF.
Performance
IEFA vs. IEF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IEFA achieves a 9.51% return, which is significantly higher than IEF's -0.47% return. Over the past 10 years, IEFA has outperformed IEF with an annualized return of 9.90%, while IEF has yielded a comparatively lower 0.59% annualized return.
IEFA
- 1D
- 0.18%
- 1M
- 1.09%
- YTD
- 9.51%
- 6M
- 11.08%
- 1Y
- 22.43%
- 3Y*
- 16.31%
- 5Y*
- 8.10%
- 10Y*
- 9.90%
IEF
- 1D
- -0.17%
- 1M
- 1.05%
- YTD
- -0.47%
- 6M
- -0.18%
- 1Y
- 3.78%
- 3Y*
- 2.86%
- 5Y*
- -1.24%
- 10Y*
- 0.59%
IEFA vs. IEF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 9.51% | 32.08% | 3.26% | 17.95% | -15.24% | 11.63% | 8.18% | 22.64% | -14.14% | 26.57% |
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.47% | 8.03% | -0.63% | 3.64% | -15.15% | -3.33% | 10.01% | 8.03% | 0.99% | 2.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between IEFA and IEF is 0.39, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.39 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.30 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.18 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 24, 2012 | -0.08 |
The correlation between IEFA and IEF shifts across timeframes, from -0.08 (all time) to 0.39 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
IEFA vs. IEF — Risk / Return Rank
IEFA
IEF
IEFA vs. IEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| IEFA | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.63 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.87 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.12 | +0.12 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.83 | 0.84 | +0.99 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.93 | 2.35 | +4.59 |
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Drawdowns
IEFA vs. IEF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IEFA drawdown since its inception was -34.78%, which is greater than IEF's maximum drawdown of -23.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEFA and IEF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IEFA | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.78% | -23.93% | -10.85% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.50% | -4.07% | -7.43% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -13.76% | -7.74% | -6.02% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -30.41% | -21.40% | -9.01% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.78% | -23.93% | -10.85% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.60% | -11.18% | +10.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.68% | -5.35% | -1.33% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.03% | 1.45% | +1.58% |
Volatility
IEFA vs. IEF - Volatility Comparison
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) has a higher volatility of 5.50% compared to iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) at 1.62%. This indicates that IEFA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IEFA | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.50% | 1.62% | +3.88% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.11% | 3.42% | +9.69% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.54% | 4.72% | +10.82% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.61% | 7.71% | +8.90% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.31% | 6.63% | +10.68% |
IEFA vs. IEF - Expense Ratio Comparison
IEFA has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is lower than IEF's 0.15% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
IEFA vs. IEF - Dividend Comparison
IEFA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.24%, less than IEF's 3.89% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.89% | 3.77% | 3.62% | 2.91% | 1.96% | 0.83% | 1.08% | 2.08% | 2.24% | 1.82% | 1.81% | 1.90% |
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 3.24% | 3.55% | 3.47% | 3.20% | 2.70% | 3.32% | 1.90% | 3.18% | 3.46% | 2.57% | 2.96% | 2.63% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IEFA and IEF have a correlation of 0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IEFA has higher volatility (5.50%) compared to IEF (1.62%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IEFA dropped -34.78% vs IEF's -23.93%.
On 10-year performance, IEFA leads with 9.90% vs 0.59% for IEF. On fees, IEFA is cheaper at 0.07% per year. On volatility, IEF has been the lower-risk option at 1.62%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, IEFA has performed better with a 9.90% return vs 0.59%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IEFA is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for IEF.
IEF has the higher dividend yield at 3.89%, compared with 3.24% for IEFA.
IEFA is categorized as Foreign Large Cap Equities, while IEF is Government Bonds. IEFA tracks MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net), while IEF tracks ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index. Their fees differ too: 0.07% for IEFA and 0.15% for IEF.
IEFA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.35 vs 0.72), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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