VEA vs. ACWX: Cheap International Exposure or Full Global Access?

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  • VEA charges a overmuch little disbursal ratio and holds implicit doubly arsenic galore stocks arsenic ACWX.

  • ACWX tilts somewhat much toward exertion and VEA is heavier successful industrials.

  • Both funds delivered akin beardown 1-year returns, but VEA captured a spot much upside implicit the past 5 years.

  • These 10 stocks could mint the adjacent question of millionaires ›

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (NYSEMKT:VEA) keeps costs dramatically little and holds a wider handbasket of developed-market stocks, portion iShares MSCI ACWI ex US ETF (NASDAQ:ACWX) has a somewhat antithetic assemblage mix.

Both VEA and ACWX purpose to springiness investors a one-stop mode to entree non-US equities, but they disagree successful breadth, portfolio makeup, and cost. This examination highlights wherever each ETF stands out, and wherever the overlap oregon divergence whitethorn substance for portfolio construction.

Metric

VEA

ACWX

Issuer

Vanguard

IShares

Expense ratio

0.03%

0.32%

1-yr instrumentality (as of 2026-01-09)

35.8%

34.2%

Dividend yield

3.1%

2.7%

Beta

1.05

0.75

AUM

$268.9 billion

$7.87 billion

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

VEA looks notably much affordable, with an disbursal ratio astir one-tenth that of ACWX, and besides delivers a modestly higher dividend yield.

Metric

VEA

ACWX

Max drawdown (5 y)

-29.70%

-30.06%

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$1,331

$1,267

ACWX tracks large- and mid-cap stocks from some developed and emerging markets extracurricular the US, and presently has astir 1,751 holdings. The money has a 17.8-year way record. Financial Services (25%), Technology (15%), and Industrials (15%) pb assemblage allocations. The largest positions see Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Tencent, and ASML, hinting astatine a meaningful Asia and emerging marketplace beingness contempt the "ex US" label.

VEA, successful contrast, holds implicit 3,800 stocks focused strictly connected developed markets successful Europe, the Pacific, and Canada. Its apical sectors are fiscal services (24%), industrials (19%), and exertion (12%). Top positions specified arsenic ASML, Samsung Electronics, and AstraZeneca underscore its developed-market tilt and broader diversification by fig of holdings.

For much guidance connected ETF investing, cheque retired the afloat usher astatine this link.

International stocks crushed U.S. markets successful 2025, making funds similar Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) and iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) enticing options for investors to consider. Both springiness you entree to stocks extracurricular America, but with dramatically antithetic terms tags.

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