HEEM vs. ACWI

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (HEEM) and iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI).

HEEM and ACWI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HEEM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets 100% USD Hedged Index. It was launched on Sep 23, 2014. 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. Both HEEM and ACWI 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

HEEM vs. ACWI - Performance Comparison

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

HEEM vs. ACWI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HEEM iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	6.21%	34.02%	12.59%	10.14%	-16.85%	-1.82%	17.94%	18.53%	-11.09%	27.59%
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%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HEEM achieves a 6.21% return, which is significantly higher than ACWI's -2.21% return. Over the past 10 years, HEEM has underperformed ACWI with an annualized return of 9.13%, while ACWI has yielded a comparatively higher 11.58% annualized return.

HEEM

• 1D: 3.58%
• 1M: -6.72%
• YTD: 6.21%
• 6M: 13.27%
• 1Y: 37.01%
• 3Y*: 18.98%
• 5Y*: 6.31%
• 10Y*: 9.13%

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%

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

HEEM vs. ACWI - Expense Ratio Comparison

HEEM has a 0.72% expense ratio, which is higher than ACWI's 0.32% expense ratio.

HEEM

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

ACWI

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF

Return for Risk

HEEM vs. ACWI — Risk / Return Rank

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

HEEM

HEEM Risk / Return Rank: 92
HEEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
HEEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
HEEM Omega Ratio Rank: 93
HEEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
HEEM Martin Ratio Rank: 92

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

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.

HEEM vs. ACWI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (HEEM) and iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI). 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.

	HEEM	ACWI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.12	1.20	+0.92
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.78	1.77	+1.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.27	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.22	1.79	+1.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.72	8.26	+4.45
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HEEM vs. ACWI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HEEM Sharpe Ratio is 2.12, which is higher than the ACWI Sharpe Ratio of 1.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HEEM and ACWI, 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

	HEEM	ACWI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.12	1.20	+0.92
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	0.59	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	0.68	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.39	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between HEEM and ACWI is 0.78, 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

HEEM vs. ACWI - Dividend Comparison

HEEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.74%, more than ACWI's 1.59% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HEEM iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	3.74%	3.98%	2.38%	2.75%	7.49%	1.93%	1.49%	3.04%	2.37%	2.05%	1.84%	6.28%
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%

Drawdowns

HEEM vs. ACWI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HEEM drawdown since its inception was -33.53%, smaller than the maximum ACWI drawdown of -56.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HEEM and ACWI.

Drawdown Indicators

	HEEM	ACWI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.53%	-56.00%	+22.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.42%	-11.76%	+0.34%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-30.64%	-26.42%	-4.22%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.53%	-33.53%	0.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.64%	-6.92%	-0.72%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.28%	-8.69%	-2.59%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.89%	2.54%	+0.35%

Volatility

HEEM vs. ACWI - Volatility Comparison

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (HEEM) has a higher volatility of 8.92% compared to iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) at 6.38%. This indicates that HEEM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ACWI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HEEM	ACWI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.92%	6.38%	+2.54%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.25%	10.05%	+3.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.52%	17.48%	+0.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.55%	15.97%	+0.58%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.75%	17.08%	+0.67%