EFA vs VTIAX: 48% overlap
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard Total International Stock Index Admiral share 47.7% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.
You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.5. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.
Top shared holdings
EFA and VTIAX hold 649 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in EFA | in VTIAX | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASML | 3.2% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| HSBA | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| SAN | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| NOVN | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| ROP | 1.4% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| AZN | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| NESN | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| SU | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| SIE | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| SHEL | 1.2% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Where EFA and VTIAX differ
Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.
| Sector | EFA | VTIAX | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unclassified | 0.0% | 9.1% | −9.1pp |
| Information Technology | 12.0% | 20.9% | −8.9pp |
| Financials | 25.8% | 19.7% | +6.1pp |
| Industrials | 19.0% | 13.8% | +5.2pp |
| Health Care | 8.0% | 5.3% | +2.7pp |
| Consumer Staples | 7.0% | 4.9% | +2.2pp |
| Cash and/or Derivatives | 0.6% | 2.5% | −1.9pp |
| Utilities | 4.5% | 3.0% | +1.5pp |
Δ is EFA minus VTIAX, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.
What each fund holds alone
1.9% of EFA by weight, held in no part of VTIAX.
49.8% of VTIAX by weight, held in no part of EFA.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| EFA | VTIAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 14.5% | 16.3% |
| Positions held | 678 | 8,453 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $33 | $9 |
Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.
Frequently asked
How much do EFA and VTIAX overlap?
EFA and VTIAX overlap 47.7% by portfolio weight — moderate overlap. They share 649 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (EFA as of 2026-07-23, VTIAX as of 2026-06-30).
How is the overlap between EFA and VTIAX calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If EFA holds a stock at 6% and VTIAX holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.
Is it redundant to hold both EFA and VTIAX?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 47.7% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does EFA own that VTIAX doesn't?
EFA holds 678 positions and VTIAX holds 8,453; 28 of EFA's positions don't appear in VTIAX at all, and they are 1.9% of EFA by weight.
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, EFA as of 2026-07-23, VTIAX as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.