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EFA vs AAXJ

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF vs iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF

EFA

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

Annual cost

0.32%

Fund size

$77.4B

AAXJ

iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF

Annual cost

0.72%

Fund size

$4.0B

Key differences

Both EFA and AAXJ are equity ETFs. EFA charges 0.32% a year and AAXJ 0.72%. The main difference: EFA covers global markets excluding the US; AAXJ covers the Asia-Pacific region.

  • EFA covers global markets excluding the US; AAXJ covers the Asia-Pacific region.
  • EFA costs 0.40% less per year.
  • EFA is much larger than AAXJ. Larger funds are usually more liquid and less likely to close.
  • Over the last three years, AAXJ has delivered higher annualized returns.
  • EFA has a longer track record, which may reduce uncertainty around long-term behavior.

Side-by-side comparison

EFAAAXJ
Annual cost (TER)0.32%0.72%
Fund size (AUM)$77.4B$4.0B
Since20012008
Dividend yield3.10%1.41%
Asset classequityequity
Regionglobal ex usasia pacific
Strategyindex trackingindex tracking
CAGR 1Y+18.4%+43.7%
CAGR 3Y+16.8%+22.5%
CAGR 5Y+8.1%+5.5%
Sharpe 3Y0.860.96
Volatility 1Y15.27%21.53%
Max drawdown-34.19%-44.52%

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