ETF Versus

DGRO vs IEFA

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF vs iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

DGRO iShares

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.10%. Launched in 2014, the fund has a 12-year track record.

AUM: $36.8B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.10% Since: Jun 10, 2014
IEFA iShares

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $164.3B ER: 0.07% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 18, 2012

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.07% vs 0.08%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, IEFA has significantly outperformed with a 21.2% return vs 13.9%. Income investors may prefer IEFA for its higher yield (3.5% vs 2.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric DGRO IEFA
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.07%
Dividend Yield 2.1% 3.5%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Dividend International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 87 104 121 138 155 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
DGRO +42.9%
IEFA +24.0%

Performance Comparison

Period DGRO IEFA Difference
1 Month -4.90% -4.68% -0.22%
3 Months +0.57% +1.73% -1.16%
6 Months +2.36% +3.46% -1.10%
YTD +0.57% +1.73% -1.16%
1 Year +13.94% +21.19% -7.25%
3 Years +39.53% +36.36% +3.17%
5 Years +42.86% +23.97% +18.89%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period DGRO Fees IEFA Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $159 $140 $20
$10.000 20 years $686 $600 $85
$10.000 30 years $2.212 $1.938 $274
$50.000 10 years $797 $698 $99
$50.000 30 years $11.061 $9.692 $1.370
$100.000 30 years $22.123 $19.383 $2.739

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric DGRO IEFA
Annualized Volatility 13.9% 16.6%
Max Drawdown -20.7% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.26 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric DGRO IEFA
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.47 $3.18
Dividend Yield 2.10% 3.46%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

DGRO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM3.43%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ2.94%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM2.93%
Apple Inc.AAPL2.87%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT2.71%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV2.67%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.49%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG2.14%
Philip Morris International Inc.PM2.05%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK2.05%

IEFA Top Holdings

NameWeight
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML2.18%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.25%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.21%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP1.17%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.16%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.12%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN1.05%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.85%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA0.85%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83060.81%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IEFA if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose IEFA if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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