ETF Versus

IEFA vs QQQM

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF vs Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-15

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 3.28%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $179.2B ER: 0.07% Yield: 3.28% Since: Oct 18, 2012
QQQM Invesco

Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.49%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $74.7B ER: 0.15% Yield: 0.49% Since: Oct 13, 2020

Quick Verdict

IEFA has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.07% vs 0.15%), saving about $158 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, QQQM has significantly outperformed with a 37.2% return vs 29.3%. Income investors may prefer IEFA for its higher yield (3.3% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEFA QQQM
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.15%
Dividend Yield 3.3% 0.5%
Fund Family iShares Invesco
Category International Developed US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 90 115 140 165 190 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IEFA +29.1%
QQQM +84.4%

Performance Comparison

Period IEFA QQQM Difference
1 Month +5.79% +4.70% +1.09%
3 Months +4.57% +1.09% +3.48%
6 Months +9.78% +4.09% +5.69%
YTD +7.06% +2.51% +4.55%
1 Year +29.28% +37.23% -7.95%
3 Years +41.56% +97.33% -55.77%
5 Years +28.20% +84.07% -55.87%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEFA Fees QQQM Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $140 $298 $158
$10,000 20 years $600 $1,278 $677
$10,000 30 years $1,938 $4,109 $2,171
$50,000 10 years $698 $1,490 $792
$50,000 30 years $9,692 $20,547 $10,855
$100,000 30 years $19,383 $41,094 $21,711

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEFA QQQM
Annualized Volatility 16.7% 22.3%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.46

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEFA QQQM
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.18 $1.27
Dividend Yield 3.29% 0.49%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IEFA Top Holdings

NameWeight
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML2.28%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.24%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.22%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.16%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP1.13%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.06%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN1.02%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA0.86%
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft!etr/SIE0.81%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83060.80%

QQQM Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.85%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.39%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.32%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.94%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.59%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.40%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.36%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.32%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.30%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IEFA if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose QQQM 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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