ETF Versus

SCHF vs SPDW

Schwab International Equity ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.27%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $56.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.27% Since: Nov 3, 2009

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.16%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $35.5B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.16% Since: Apr 20, 2007

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (26.6% vs 27.1%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHF SPDW
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.3% 3.2%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category International Developed International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 85 100 115 130 145 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHF +30.0%
SPDW +27.7%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHF SPDW Difference
1 Month -5.42% -5.40% -0.02%
3 Months +3.20% +3.29% -0.09%
6 Months +5.94% +6.49% -0.55%
YTD +3.20% +3.29% -0.09%
1 Year +26.59% +27.05% -0.46%
3 Years +43.17% +43.33% -0.16%
5 Years +30.02% +27.68% +2.34%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHF Fees SPDW Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10.000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10.000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50.000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $4.176 $0
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $8.352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHF SPDW
Annualized Volatility 16.3% 16.3%
Max Drawdown -31.4% -33.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.13 0.11

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHF SPDW
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.82 $1.47
Dividend Yield 3.27% 3.16%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

8 of top 9 holdings overlap (89% overlap in top holdings)

SCHF Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059302.12%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.97%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.27%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.09%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.05%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.04%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.00%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.93%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.85%

SPDW Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!lon/SMSN1.87%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.68%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.00%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.98%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006600.96%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.93%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL0.93%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP0.92%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.86%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.81%

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

you just need broad international developed exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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