IGRO vs. HDEF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares International Dividend Growth ETF (IGRO) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF).

IGRO and HDEF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IGRO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Global ex-US Dividend Growth Index. It was launched on May 17, 2016. HDEF is a passively managed fund by Deutsche Bank that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield US Dollar Hedged Index. It was launched on Aug 12, 2015. Both IGRO and HDEF 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

IGRO vs. HDEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares International Dividend Growth ETF (IGRO) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IGRO vs. HDEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IGRO iShares International Dividend Growth ETF	1.57%	25.03%	7.78%	15.38%	-12.72%	9.94%	7.71%	26.13%	-14.86%	24.64%
HDEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF	5.06%	33.01%	2.85%	18.53%	-2.51%	6.95%	-1.90%	25.02%	-13.74%	9.89%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IGRO achieves a 1.57% return, which is significantly lower than HDEF's 5.06% return.

IGRO

• 1D: 2.91%
• 1M: -6.70%
• YTD: 1.57%
• 6M: 6.16%
• 1Y: 18.69%
• 3Y*: 14.34%
• 5Y*: 7.73%
• 10Y*: —

HDEF

• 1D: 1.98%
• 1M: -4.72%
• YTD: 5.06%
• 6M: 11.32%
• 1Y: 24.25%
• 3Y*: 16.72%
• 5Y*: 11.17%
• 10Y*: 8.87%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

IGRO vs. HDEF - Expense Ratio Comparison

IGRO has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is higher than HDEF's 0.20% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

IGRO

iShares International Dividend Growth ETF

HDEF

Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF

Return for Risk

IGRO vs. HDEF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

IGRO

IGRO Risk / Return Rank: 74
IGRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
IGRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
IGRO Omega Ratio Rank: 74
IGRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
IGRO Martin Ratio Rank: 72

HDEF

HDEF Risk / Return Rank: 86
HDEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
HDEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
HDEF Omega Ratio Rank: 88
HDEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
HDEF Martin Ratio Rank: 86

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

IGRO vs. HDEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares International Dividend Growth ETF (IGRO) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF). 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.

	IGRO	HDEF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.31	1.68	-0.37
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.80	2.25	-0.45
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.35	-0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.81	2.51	-0.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.00	9.67	-2.67
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IGRO vs. HDEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IGRO Sharpe Ratio is 1.31, which is comparable to the HDEF Sharpe Ratio of 1.68. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IGRO and HDEF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IGRO	HDEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.31	1.68	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	0.80	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.55	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.46	+0.05

Correlation

The correlation between IGRO and HDEF is 0.75, 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

IGRO vs. HDEF - Dividend Comparison

IGRO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.51%, less than HDEF's 3.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IGRO iShares International Dividend Growth ETF	2.51%	2.51%	2.44%	2.79%	2.69%	2.27%	2.41%	2.65%	2.97%	2.43%	1.18%	0.00%
HDEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF	3.61%	3.88%	4.53%	4.38%	5.41%	4.76%	3.93%	4.20%	3.55%	3.38%	9.53%	1.87%

Drawdowns

IGRO vs. HDEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IGRO drawdown since its inception was -36.25%, roughly equal to the maximum HDEF drawdown of -36.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IGRO and HDEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	IGRO	HDEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.25%	-36.43%	+0.18%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.00%	-9.32%	-0.68%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.04%	-23.63%	-2.41%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-36.43%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.74%	-4.72%	-2.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.74%	-5.07%	-0.67%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.58%	2.42%	+0.16%

Volatility

IGRO vs. HDEF - Volatility Comparison

iShares International Dividend Growth ETF (IGRO) has a higher volatility of 6.63% compared to Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF) at 5.52%. This indicates that IGRO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HDEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IGRO	HDEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.63%	5.52%	+1.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.45%	8.54%	+0.91%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.39%	14.54%	-0.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.83%	14.10%	-0.27%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.89%	16.21%	+0.68%