IEFA vs. IQLT
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) and iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (IQLT).
IEFA and IQLT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IEFA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index. It was launched on Oct 18, 2012. IQLT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the World ex USA Sector Neutral Quality. It was launched on Jan 13, 2015. Both IEFA and IQLT are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
IEFA vs. IQLT - Performance Comparison
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IEFA vs. IQLT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 1.20% | 32.08% | 3.26% | 17.95% | -15.24% | 11.63% | 8.18% | 22.64% | -14.14% | 26.57% |
IQLT iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF | 1.72% | 25.42% | 1.54% | 18.73% | -15.22% | 12.94% | 12.48% | 28.18% | -10.76% | 24.04% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IEFA achieves a 1.20% return, which is significantly lower than IQLT's 1.72% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IEFA having a 8.86% annualized return and IQLT not far ahead at 9.09%.
IEFA
- 1D
- 3.24%
- 1M
- -7.92%
- YTD
- 1.20%
- 6M
- 5.69%
- 1Y
- 24.17%
- 3Y*
- 14.50%
- 5Y*
- 7.80%
- 10Y*
- 8.86%
IQLT
- 1D
- 3.15%
- 1M
- -6.96%
- YTD
- 1.72%
- 6M
- 5.66%
- 1Y
- 19.32%
- 3Y*
- 12.17%
- 5Y*
- 7.25%
- 10Y*
- 9.09%
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IEFA vs. IQLT - Expense Ratio Comparison
IEFA has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is lower than IQLT's 0.30% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
IEFA vs. IQLT — Risk / Return Rank
IEFA
IQLT
IEFA vs. IQLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) and iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (IQLT). 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.
| IEFA | IQLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.38 | 1.15 | +0.23 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.97 | 1.69 | +0.28 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.23 | +0.05 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 1.77 | +0.23 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.79 | 6.68 | +1.11 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IEFA | IQLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.38 | 1.15 | +0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.48 | 0.45 | +0.03 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.52 | 0.54 | -0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.48 | 0.47 | +0.01 |
Correlation
The correlation between IEFA and IQLT is 0.89, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
IEFA vs. IQLT - Dividend Comparison
IEFA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.51%, more than IQLT's 2.29% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 3.51% | 3.55% | 3.47% | 3.20% | 2.70% | 3.32% | 1.90% | 3.18% | 3.46% | 2.57% | 2.96% | 2.63% |
IQLT iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF | 2.29% | 2.33% | 2.87% | 2.27% | 3.14% | 2.24% | 1.61% | 2.28% | 2.72% | 2.36% | 2.91% | 2.78% |
Drawdowns
IEFA vs. IQLT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IEFA drawdown since its inception was -34.78%, which is greater than IQLT's maximum drawdown of -32.21%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEFA and IQLT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IEFA | IQLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.78% | -32.21% | -2.57% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.50% | -10.38% | -1.12% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -30.41% | -30.24% | -0.17% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.78% | -32.21% | -2.57% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -8.15% | -7.02% | -1.13% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.74% | -6.29% | -0.45% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.95% | 2.74% | +0.21% |
Volatility
IEFA vs. IQLT - Volatility Comparison
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) has a higher volatility of 7.89% compared to iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (IQLT) at 7.46%. This indicates that IEFA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IQLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IEFA | IQLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.89% | 7.46% | +0.43% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.05% | 10.71% | +0.34% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.64% | 16.93% | +0.71% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.35% | 16.31% | +0.04% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.24% | 16.92% | +0.32% |