LOWV vs. EFA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF (LOWV) and iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA).

LOWV and EFA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. LOWV is an actively managed fund by AllianceBernstein. It was launched on Mar 21, 2023. EFA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE Index. It was launched on Aug 14, 2001.

Performance

LOWV vs. EFA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF (LOWV) and iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

LOWV vs. EFA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
LOWV AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF	-4.98%	12.26%	20.43%	20.41%
EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	2.69%	31.55%	3.49%	12.57%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LOWV achieves a -4.98% return, which is significantly lower than EFA's 2.69% return.

LOWV

• 1D: 0.58%
• 1M: -4.96%
• YTD: -4.98%
• 6M: -5.26%
• 1Y: 7.40%
• 3Y*: 14.37%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

EFA

• 1D: 1.52%
• 1M: -4.54%
• YTD: 2.69%
• 6M: 6.65%
• 1Y: 24.78%
• 3Y*: 14.94%
• 5Y*: 8.43%
• 10Y*: 8.93%

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

LOWV vs. EFA - Expense Ratio Comparison

LOWV has a 0.48% expense ratio, which is higher than EFA's 0.32% expense ratio.

LOWV

AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF

EFA

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

Return for Risk

LOWV vs. EFA — Risk / Return Rank

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

LOWV

LOWV Risk / Return Rank: 27
LOWV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
LOWV Sortino Ratio Rank: 25
LOWV Omega Ratio Rank: 26
LOWV Calmar Ratio Rank: 29
LOWV Martin Ratio Rank: 31

EFA

EFA Risk / Return Rank: 76
EFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
EFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
EFA Omega Ratio Rank: 74
EFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
EFA Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

LOWV vs. EFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF (LOWV) and iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA). 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.

	LOWV	EFA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.50	1.40	-0.90
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.81	1.99	-1.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.29	-0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.74	2.19	-1.45
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.89	8.30	-5.41
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LOWV vs. EFA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LOWV Sharpe Ratio is 0.50, which is lower than the EFA Sharpe Ratio of 1.40. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LOWV and EFA, 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

	LOWV	EFA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.50	1.40	-0.90
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.52	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.52	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.29	0.30	+0.99

Correlation

The correlation between LOWV and EFA is 0.66, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

LOWV vs. EFA - Dividend Comparison

LOWV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.98%, less than EFA's 3.29% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LOWV AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF	0.98%	0.85%	0.92%	0.77%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	3.29%	3.38%	3.24%	2.98%	2.69%	3.33%	2.13%	3.10%	3.39%	2.57%	3.07%	2.76%

Drawdowns

LOWV vs. EFA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LOWV drawdown since its inception was -13.87%, smaller than the maximum EFA drawdown of -61.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LOWV and EFA.

Drawdown Indicators

	LOWV	EFA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.87%	-61.04%	+47.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.23%	-11.42%	+1.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-29.53%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-34.19%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.79%	-6.67%	-0.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.52%	-12.00%	+10.48%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.62%	3.01%	-0.39%

Volatility

LOWV vs. EFA - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF (LOWV) is 4.48%, while iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) has a volatility of 7.51%. This indicates that LOWV experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LOWV	EFA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.48%	7.51%	-3.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.35%	11.21%	-2.86%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.89%	17.74%	-2.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.09%	16.32%	-4.23%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.09%	17.20%	-5.11%