ACWI vs. ACWI.L

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) and SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (ACWI.L).

ACWI and ACWI.L are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ACWI is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country World Index. It was launched on Mar 26, 2008. ACWI.L is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the MSCI ACWI NR USD. It was launched on May 13, 2011. Both ACWI and ACWI.L are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) and SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (ACWI.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	-2.21%	22.41%	17.45%	22.27%	-18.39%	18.66%	16.34%	26.59%	-9.19%	24.33%
ACWI.L SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF	-4.09%	22.95%	17.67%	21.68%	-18.36%	19.19%	15.32%	26.81%	-9.98%	23.68%

Different Trading Currencies

ACWI is traded in USD, while ACWI.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the ACWI.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ACWI achieves a -2.21% return, which is significantly higher than ACWI.L's -4.09% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with ACWI having a 11.58% annualized return and ACWI.L not far behind at 11.31%.

ACWI

• 1D: 3.11%
• 1M: -6.11%
• YTD: -2.21%
• 6M: 0.97%
• 1Y: 20.86%
• 3Y*: 16.98%
• 5Y*: 9.40%
• 10Y*: 11.58%

ACWI.L

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: -7.70%
• YTD: -4.09%
• 6M: 0.08%
• 1Y: 20.63%
• 3Y*: 16.71%
• 5Y*: 9.20%
• 10Y*: 11.31%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

ACWI has a 0.32% expense ratio, which is lower than ACWI.L's 0.40% expense ratio.

ACWI.L

SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF

ACWI

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF

Return for Risk

ACWI vs. ACWI.L — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ACWI

ACWI Risk / Return Rank: 75
ACWI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ACWI Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
ACWI Omega Ratio Rank: 75
ACWI Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
ACWI Martin Ratio Rank: 81

ACWI.L

ACWI.L Risk / Return Rank: 71
ACWI.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
ACWI.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
ACWI.L Omega Ratio Rank: 74
ACWI.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
ACWI.L Martin Ratio Rank: 70

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) and SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (ACWI.L). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ACWI	ACWI.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.20	1.32	-0.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.77	1.82	-0.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.27	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.79	1.53	+0.25
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.26	7.48	+0.78
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ACWI Sharpe Ratio is 1.20, which is comparable to the ACWI.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ACWI and ACWI.L, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ACWI	ACWI.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.20	1.32	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	0.61	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.68	0.72	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.59	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between ACWI and ACWI.L is 0.69, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Dividend Comparison

ACWI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.59%, while ACWI.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	1.59%	1.55%	1.70%	1.88%	1.79%	1.71%	1.43%	2.33%	2.18%	1.94%	2.19%	2.56%
ACWI.L SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ACWI drawdown since its inception was -56.00%, which is greater than ACWI.L's maximum drawdown of -33.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACWI and ACWI.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	ACWI	ACWI.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.00%	-25.44%	-30.56%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.76%	-10.51%	-1.25%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.42%	-18.07%	-8.35%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.53%	-25.44%	-8.09%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.92%	-5.97%	-0.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.69%	-3.70%	-4.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.54%	2.42%	+0.12%

Volatility

ACWI vs. ACWI.L - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) has a higher volatility of 6.38% compared to SPDR MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (ACWI.L) at 4.97%. This indicates that ACWI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ACWI.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ACWI	ACWI.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.38%	4.97%	+1.41%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.05%	8.80%	+1.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.48%	15.59%	+1.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.97%	15.20%	+0.77%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.08%	15.61%	+1.47%