NIHI vs. IEFA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF (NIHI) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA).

NIHI and IEFA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NIHI is an actively managed fund by Neos. It was launched on Sep 16, 2025. 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.

Performance

NIHI vs. IEFA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF (NIHI) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NIHI vs. IEFA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
NIHI NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF	0.34%	5.33%
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	2.74%	4.79%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NIHI achieves a 0.34% return, which is significantly lower than IEFA's 2.74% return.

NIHI

• 1D: 1.58%
• 1M: -4.42%
• YTD: 0.34%
• 6M: 4.57%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

IEFA

• 1D: 1.52%
• 1M: -4.68%
• YTD: 2.74%
• 6M: 6.58%
• 1Y: 25.75%
• 3Y*: 15.08%
• 5Y*: 8.12%
• 10Y*: 9.02%

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

NIHI vs. IEFA - Expense Ratio Comparison

NIHI has a 0.68% expense ratio, which is higher than IEFA's 0.07% expense ratio.

NIHI

NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF

IEFA

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

Return for Risk

NIHI vs. IEFA — Risk / Return Rank

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

IEFA

IEFA Risk / Return Rank: 78
IEFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
IEFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
IEFA Omega Ratio Rank: 77
IEFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
IEFA Martin Ratio Rank: 78

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.

NIHI vs. IEFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF (NIHI) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). 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.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NIHI	IEFA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	1.46	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.50	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.52	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.70	0.49	+0.21

Correlation

The correlation between NIHI and IEFA is 0.94, 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

NIHI vs. IEFA - Dividend Comparison

NIHI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.40%, more than IEFA's 3.46% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NIHI NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF	6.40%	3.44%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	3.46%	3.55%	3.47%	3.20%	2.70%	3.32%	1.90%	3.18%	3.46%	2.57%	2.96%	2.63%

Drawdowns

NIHI vs. IEFA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NIHI drawdown since its inception was -10.88%, smaller than the maximum IEFA drawdown of -34.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NIHI and IEFA.

Drawdown Indicators

	NIHI	IEFA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.88%	-34.78%	+23.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-11.50%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-30.41%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-34.78%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.28%	-6.75%	+0.47%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.24%	-6.74%	+4.50%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	2.98%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	NIHI	IEFA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	7.51%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	11.14%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.52%	17.67%	-2.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.52%	16.36%	-0.84%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.52%	17.24%	-1.72%