ETF Versus

ACWI vs URTH

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF vs iShares MSCI World ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

ACWI iShares

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.32%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.51%. Launched in 2008, the fund has a 18-year track record.

AUM: $29.5B ER: 0.32% Yield: 1.51% Since: Mar 26, 2008
URTH iShares

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.46%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $7.7B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.46% Since: Jan 10, 2012

Quick Verdict

URTH has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.24% vs 0.32%), saving about $156 per $10,000 over 10 years. ACWI has edged ahead over the past year (32.8% vs 30.8%).

Key Metrics

Metric ACWI URTH
Expense Ratio 0.32% 0.24%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 1.5%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category Global Equity Global Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 92 109 126 143 160 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
ACWI +48.2%
URTH +53.9%

Performance Comparison

Period ACWI URTH Difference
1 Month +1.53% +1.34% +0.19%
3 Months -0.17% -0.81% +0.64%
6 Months +5.30% +4.35% +0.95%
YTD +1.85% +1.08% +0.77%
1 Year +32.84% +30.82% +2.02%
3 Years +58.61% +59.84% -1.23%
5 Years +48.15% +53.91% -5.76%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ACWI Fees URTH Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $631 $475 $156
$10,000 20 years $2,686 $2,028 $657
$10,000 30 years $8,571 $6,497 $2,074
$50,000 10 years $3,156 $2,375 $781
$50,000 30 years $42,854 $32,483 $10,370
$100,000 30 years $85,707 $64,967 $20,740

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ACWI URTH
Annualized Volatility 16.1% 16.3%
Max Drawdown -27.7% -26.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.29 0.34

Dividend Comparison

Metric ACWI URTH
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.20 $2.76
Dividend Yield 1.51% 1.46%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

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

ACWI Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA4.66%
Apple Inc.AAPL4.00%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT2.78%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN2.24%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1.66%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG1.61%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23301.59%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.40%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.02%

URTH Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA5.29%
Apple Inc.AAPL4.55%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT3.16%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN2.54%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1.89%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG1.83%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.59%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.16%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM1.00%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose URTH if...

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

Choose ACWI if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Either works if...

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

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