IEFA vs SACH: Correlation
How closely do iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) and Sachem Capital Corp. (SACH) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.39, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are IEFA and SACH?
Over the past 3 years, IEFA and SACH moved with a correlation of 0.39, which is moderate. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.30 over 1 year against 0.39 over 3. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.40, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 256.1 %².
By 3-year correlation, SACH places #98 of the 111 assets tracked against IEFA. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months IEFA outperformed by 37.0 percentage points (+21.8% for IEFA against -15.2% for SACH). Note the risk asymmetry: SACH runs 2.9 times the annualized volatility of the other leg, so equal-weighting the two is not an equal-risk position.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
IEFA vs SACH: side by side
| IEFA (iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF) | SACH (Sachem Capital Corp.) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +21.8% | -15.2% |
| 5-year return | +54.5% | -65.5% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 15.0% | 43.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.77 | 0.62 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -13.8% | -78.7% |
| Market cap | – | – |
| P/E (trailing) | – | – |
| Dividend yield | 3.35% | 11.36% |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | – |
| Assets under management | $190.1B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · International | US Listed |
IEFA, iShares's Foreign Large Blend fund, carries $190.1B under management, 1620 holdings, a 0.07% expense ratio, a 3.35% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | IEFA | SACH |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -15.2% | -35.8% |
| 2023 | +18.0% | +29.5% |
| 2024 | +3.3% | -60.5% |
| 2025 | +32.1% | -9.2% |
| 2026 | +14.5% | -8.4% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are IEFA and SACH good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.39, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between IEFA and SACH?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.39 over 3 years, with 0.30 over the last year and 0.40 over 5 years.
Is SACH a good diversifier for IEFA?
A fair diversifier. At 0.39, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.39 mean?
Correlation ranges from −1 to +1. Values near +1 mean two assets move together, near 0 that they move independently, and negative values that they tend to move in opposite directions. It measures co-movement, not performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/iefa-vs-sach.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/iefa-vs-sach/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: IEFA correlations · SACH correlations
