ACWX vs. VEA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA).

ACWX and VEA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ACWX is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country World ex-U.S. Index. It was launched on Mar 26, 2008. VEA is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. It was launched on Jul 20, 2007. Both ACWX and VEA 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

ACWX vs. VEA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ACWX vs. VEA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ACWX iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF	3.37%	32.59%	5.17%	15.63%	-16.07%	7.67%	10.29%	21.05%	-13.99%	27.20%
VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF	4.45%	35.16%	3.15%	17.93%	-15.34%	11.66%	9.71%	22.62%	-14.75%	26.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ACWX achieves a 3.37% return, which is significantly lower than VEA's 4.45% return. Over the past 10 years, ACWX has underperformed VEA with an annualized return of 8.81%, while VEA has yielded a comparatively higher 9.55% annualized return.

ACWX

• 1D: 1.34%
• 1M: -5.18%
• YTD: 3.37%
• 6M: 7.55%
• 1Y: 28.49%
• 3Y*: 15.86%
• 5Y*: 7.40%
• 10Y*: 8.81%

VEA

• 1D: 1.65%
• 1M: -5.45%
• YTD: 4.45%
• 6M: 9.91%
• 1Y: 31.74%
• 3Y*: 16.71%
• 5Y*: 8.93%
• 10Y*: 9.55%

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

ACWX vs. VEA - Expense Ratio Comparison

ACWX has a 0.32% expense ratio, which is higher than VEA's 0.03% expense ratio.

ACWX

iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF

VEA

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

Return for Risk

ACWX vs. VEA — Risk / Return Rank

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

ACWX

ACWX Risk / Return Rank: 83
ACWX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
ACWX Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
ACWX Omega Ratio Rank: 83
ACWX Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
ACWX Martin Ratio Rank: 83

VEA

VEA Risk / Return Rank: 87
VEA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
VEA Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
VEA Omega Ratio Rank: 87
VEA Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
VEA Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

ACWX vs. VEA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA). 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.

	ACWX	VEA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.65	1.81	-0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.25	2.46	-0.21
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.33	1.36	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.53	2.77	-0.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.65	10.77	-1.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ACWX vs. VEA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ACWX Sharpe Ratio is 1.65, which is comparable to the VEA Sharpe Ratio of 1.81. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ACWX and VEA, 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

	ACWX	VEA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.65	1.81	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.46	0.55	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.55	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.21	0.22	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between ACWX and VEA is 0.97, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

ACWX vs. VEA - Dividend Comparison

ACWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.73%, less than VEA's 2.88% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ACWX iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF	2.73%	2.82%	2.97%	2.96%	2.68%	2.74%	1.88%	3.22%	2.60%	2.40%	2.77%	2.51%
VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF	2.88%	3.22%	3.35%	3.15%	2.91%	3.16%	2.04%	3.04%	3.35%	2.77%	3.05%	2.92%

Drawdowns

ACWX vs. VEA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ACWX drawdown since its inception was -60.40%, roughly equal to the maximum VEA drawdown of -60.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACWX and VEA.

Drawdown Indicators

	ACWX	VEA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-60.40%	-60.68%	+0.28%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.42%	-11.63%	+0.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-30.07%	-29.71%	-0.36%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.38%	-35.73%	+0.35%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.28%	-7.20%	-0.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.44%	-13.39%	-0.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.00%	2.99%	+0.01%

Volatility

ACWX vs. VEA - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) have volatilities of 7.85% and 7.92%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ACWX	VEA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.85%	7.92%	-0.07%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.78%	11.68%	+0.10%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.38%	17.67%	-0.29%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.05%	16.30%	-0.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.29%	17.26%	+0.03%