ACWX vs. VEA
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 MSCI EAFE 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.
Scroll down to visually compare performance, riskiness, drawdowns, and other indicators and decide which better suits your portfolio: ACWX or VEA.
Correlation
The correlation between ACWX and VEA is 0.75, 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.

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ACWX vs. VEA - Performance Comparison
Key characteristics
ACWX:
0.02
VEA:
-0.04
ACWX:
0.15
VEA:
0.07
ACWX:
1.02
VEA:
1.01
ACWX:
0.03
VEA:
-0.05
ACWX:
0.09
VEA:
-0.15
ACWX:
4.30%
VEA:
4.41%
ACWX:
16.78%
VEA:
17.06%
ACWX:
-60.39%
VEA:
-60.69%
ACWX:
-9.19%
VEA:
-8.83%
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ACWX achieves a -0.02% return, which is significantly lower than VEA's 1.03% return. Over the past 10 years, ACWX has underperformed VEA with an annualized return of 3.93%, while VEA has yielded a comparatively higher 4.74% annualized return.
ACWX
-0.02%
-6.15%
-6.20%
1.74%
8.80%
3.93%
VEA
1.03%
-5.70%
-5.21%
0.85%
9.99%
4.74%
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ACWX vs. VEA - Expense Ratio Comparison
ACWX has a 0.32% expense ratio, which is higher than VEA's 0.05% expense ratio.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
ACWX vs. VEA — Risk-Adjusted Performance Rank
ACWX
VEA
ACWX vs. VEA - Risk-Adjusted Performance 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.
Dividends
ACWX vs. VEA - Dividend Comparison
ACWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.97%, less than VEA's 3.24% yield.
TTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
---|
Drawdowns
ACWX vs. VEA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ACWX drawdown since its inception was -60.39%, roughly equal to the maximum VEA drawdown of -60.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACWX and VEA. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
ACWX vs. VEA - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) is NaN%, while Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) has a volatility of NaN%. This indicates that ACWX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VEA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
User Portfolios with ACWX or VEA
Recent discussions
Dividend Paying Stock Portfolio
4803heights
Discrepancy between SPY and ^GSPC?
Hello, from the charts, SPY seems to be outperforming its benchmark ^GSPC. That looks strange. From my understanding, SPY is designed to closely track the S&P 500.
Could there be an error in the charts?
Hedge Cat
How is Sharpe ratio calculated?
The highest sharpe ratio portfolioi in User portfolios holds only ultrashort treasuries and show a sharpe ratio of 7+. But my understanding is the Sharpe ratio is the return less the risk-free rate divided by the standard deviation of returns. But short-term treasuries ARE the risk free rate, so the Sharpe ratio should be zero since the risk free rate minus the risk free rate is zero. So are you simply ignoring the risk-free rate and dividing returns by the standard deviation???
Addendum:
Just input my portfolio and asked that your site optimize it for Sharpe ratio. I have ready cash in USFR, and ETF that holds US floating rate notes exclusively. The optimization recommended I put over 99% in USFR. However, the interest rate on floating rate notes is based on the three month treasury, so again, USFR has a Sharpe ratio of zero! Please correct this!
Bob Peticolas