URTH vs. DGRO

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

URTH (iShares MSCI World ETF) and DGRO (iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - URTH is a Global Equities fund tracking the MSCI World Index (Net), while DGRO is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund tracking the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, URTH returned 13.05%/yr vs 13.38%/yr for DGRO. Their correlation of 0.85 means they have usually moved in the same direction. URTH charges 0.24%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for DGRO.

Performance

URTH vs. DGRO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, URTH achieves a 11.55% return, which is significantly lower than DGRO's 13.79% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with URTH having a 13.05% annualized return and DGRO not far ahead at 13.38%.

URTH

• 1D: 1.22%
• 1M: 1.58%
• 6M: 8.69%
• YTD: 11.55%
• 1Y: 23.64%
• 3Y*: 19.83%
• 5Y*: 11.46%
• 10Y*: 13.05%
• ALL TIME*: 12.26%

DGRO

• 1D: 0.35%
• 1M: 1.32%
• 6M: 9.21%
• YTD: 13.79%
• 1Y: 24.64%
• 3Y*: 17.09%
• 5Y*: 11.15%
• 10Y*: 13.38%
• ALL TIME*: 12.49%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	$107.57M	$103.25M	$110.55M
URTH iShares MSCI World ETF	$88.61M	$87.13M	$139.76M

URTH vs. DGRO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
URTH iShares MSCI World ETF	11.55%	21.36%	18.66%	23.95%	-17.97%	22.27%	15.78%	28.15%	-8.56%	22.95%
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	13.79%	15.69%	16.62%	10.47%	-7.91%	26.64%	9.50%	29.87%	-2.38%	23.00%

Correlation

The correlation between URTH and DGRO is 0.61, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.62
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.75
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.83
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.86
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 12, 2014	0.85

Over the past year, the correlation between URTH and DGRO has dropped to 0.61 - well below their long-term average of 0.85, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

URTH vs. DGRO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	URTH	DGRO
Technology	30.9%	17.3%
Financial Services	15.7%	20.4%
Industrials	11.4%	11.3%
Healthcare	9.1%	17.9%
Consumer Cyclical	8.9%	6.5%
Communication Services	8.2%	0.1%
Consumer Defensive	5.0%	11.9%
Energy	3.6%	4.8%
Basic Materials	3.1%	2.5%
Utilities	2.5%	7.3%
Real Estate	1.7%	-

Return for Risk

URTH vs. DGRO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

URTH

URTH Risk / Return Rank: 78
URTH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
URTH Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
URTH Omega Ratio Rank: 77
URTH Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
URTH Martin Ratio Rank: 83

DGRO

DGRO Risk / Return Rank: 92
DGRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
DGRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
DGRO Omega Ratio Rank: 93
DGRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
DGRO Martin Ratio Rank: 90

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

URTH vs. DGRO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	URTH	DGRO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.82	2.60	-0.77
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.54	3.77	-1.23
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.48	-0.15
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.62	3.83	-1.21
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	11.33	14.91	-3.58

URTH vs. DGRO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current URTH Sharpe Ratio is 1.82, which is comparable to the DGRO Sharpe Ratio of 2.60. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of URTH and DGRO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

URTH vs. DGRO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum URTH drawdown since its inception was -34.01%, roughly equal to the maximum DGRO drawdown of -35.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for URTH and DGRO.

Drawdown Indicators

	URTH	DGRO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.01%	-35.10%	+1.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.06%	-6.47%	-2.59%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.94%	-14.03%	-2.91%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.05%	-19.31%	-6.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.01%	-35.10%	+1.09%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-1.01%	+1.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.34%	-3.41%	-0.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.09%	1.66%	+0.43%

Volatility

URTH vs. DGRO - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) has a higher volatility of 3.77% compared to iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) at 2.88%. This indicates that URTH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DGRO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	URTH	DGRO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.77%	2.88%	+0.89%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.68%	7.12%	+3.56%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.05%	9.54%	+3.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.31%	13.79%	+2.52%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.20%	16.58%	+0.62%

URTH vs. DGRO - Expense Ratio Comparison

URTH has a 0.24% expense ratio, which is higher than DGRO's 0.08% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

URTH vs. DGRO - Dividend Comparison

URTH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.38%, less than DGRO's 1.89% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	1.89%	2.09%	2.26%	2.45%	2.34%	1.93%	2.30%	2.21%	2.44%	2.03%	2.27%	2.52%
URTH iShares MSCI World ETF	1.38%	1.48%	1.47%	1.70%	1.68%	1.50%	1.52%	2.16%	2.30%	1.88%	2.15%	2.35%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both URTH and DGRO in my portfolio?

URTH and DGRO have a correlation of 0.61, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, URTH or DGRO?

URTH has higher volatility (3.77%) compared to DGRO (2.88%). In terms of maximum drawdown, URTH dropped -34.01% vs DGRO's -35.10%.

Which ETF is better, URTH or DGRO?

On 10-year performance, DGRO leads with 13.38% vs 13.05% for URTH. On fees, DGRO is cheaper at 0.08% per year. On volatility, DGRO has been the lower-risk option at 2.88%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, URTH or DGRO?

Over the 10-year period, DGRO has performed better with a 13.38% return vs 13.05%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, URTH or DGRO?

DGRO is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.24% for URTH.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, URTH or DGRO?

DGRO has the higher dividend yield at 1.89%, compared with 1.38% for URTH.

What is the main difference between URTH and DGRO?

URTH is categorized as Global Equities, while DGRO is Large Cap Growth Equities. URTH tracks MSCI World Index (Net), while DGRO tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. Their fees differ too: 0.24% for URTH and 0.08% for DGRO.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DGRO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.60 vs 1.82), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.