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XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XAW.TO (iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF) and XSEM.TO (iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XAW.TO is a Global Equities fund tracking the Morningstar Gbl GR CAD, while XSEM.TO is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the Morningstar EM GR CAD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XAW.TO returned 13.96%/yr vs 9.59%/yr for XSEM.TO. A 0.56 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XAW.TO charges 0.22%/yr vs 0.32%/yr for XSEM.TO.

Performance

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (XSEM.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XAW.TO achieves a 13.70% return, which is significantly lower than XSEM.TO's 28.13% return.

XAW.TO

1D
-0.37%
1M
7.13%
YTD
13.70%
6M
12.70%
1Y
30.51%
3Y*
21.73%
5Y*
13.96%
10Y*
13.22%

XSEM.TO

1D
-0.86%
1M
12.07%
YTD
28.13%
6M
29.29%
1Y
57.34%
3Y*
25.23%
5Y*
9.59%
10Y*
—
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)2025202420232022202120202019
XAW.TO
iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF		13.70%15.87%26.31%18.45%-11.84%18.38%12.37%9.81%
XSEM.TO
iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF		28.13%30.16%14.82%7.04%-17.24%-3.58%15.66%5.23%

Correlation

The correlation between XAW.TO and XSEM.TO is 0.77, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.77

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.68

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.63

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 25, 2019

0.56

Over the past year, XAW.TO and XSEM.TO have become more correlated (0.77) than their long-term average of 0.56, meaning their price movements have been converging.

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
XAW.TO
XSEM.TO

Technology

32.6%
37.0%

Financial Services

13.7%
24.1%

Industrials

9.1%
5.6%

Consumer Cyclical

8.8%
9.7%

Communication Services

8.7%
8.4%

Healthcare

7.8%
2.8%

Consumer Defensive

4.6%
2.3%

Energy

3.3%
2.7%

Basic Materials

2.8%
4.5%

Utilities

2.2%
1.7%

Real Estate

1.4%
1.2%

Technology

XAW.TO
32.6%
XSEM.TO
37.0%

Financial Services

XAW.TO
13.7%
XSEM.TO
24.1%

Industrials

XAW.TO
9.1%
XSEM.TO
5.6%

Consumer Cyclical

XAW.TO
8.8%
XSEM.TO
9.7%

Communication Services

XAW.TO
8.7%
XSEM.TO
8.4%

Healthcare

XAW.TO
7.8%
XSEM.TO
2.8%

Consumer Defensive

XAW.TO
4.6%
XSEM.TO
2.3%

Energy

XAW.TO
3.3%
XSEM.TO
2.7%

Basic Materials

XAW.TO
2.8%
XSEM.TO
4.5%

Utilities

XAW.TO
2.2%
XSEM.TO
1.7%

Real Estate

XAW.TO
1.4%
XSEM.TO
1.2%

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iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF

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Often compared with XSEM.TO:
XSEM.TO vs. XDSR.TOXSEM.TO vs. XMM.TOXSEM.TO vs. XEQT.TOXSEM.TO vs. XEC.TOXSEM.TO vs. XEF.TOXSEM.TO vs. VE.TOXSEM.TO vs. ZEM.TO

Return for Risk

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
XAW.TO
XAW.TO Risk / Return Rank: 7676
Overall Rank
XAW.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7575
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XAW.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7676
Sortino Ratio Rank
XAW.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 7878
Omega Ratio Rank
XAW.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 7474
Calmar Ratio Rank
XAW.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 7777
Martin Ratio Rank
XSEM.TO
XSEM.TO Risk / Return Rank: 8585
Overall Rank
XSEM.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8888
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XSEM.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 8383
Sortino Ratio Rank
XSEM.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 8686
Omega Ratio Rank
XSEM.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 8585
Calmar Ratio Rank
XSEM.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 8383
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (XSEM.TO). 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.

XAW.TOXSEM.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.50
2.96

-0.46

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.49
3.78

-0.29

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.48

1.54

-0.06

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.76

4.69

-0.93

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

15.15

17.06

-1.91

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XAW.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.50, which is comparable to the XSEM.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XAW.TO and XSEM.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

XAW.TOXSEM.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.50

2.96

-0.46

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

1.04

0.57

+0.47

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.88

—

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.78

0.55

+0.23

Drawdowns

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XAW.TO drawdown since its inception was -27.32%, smaller than the maximum XSEM.TO drawdown of -37.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XAW.TO and XSEM.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

XAW.TOXSEM.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-27.32%

-37.03%

+9.71%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-8.16%

-12.30%

+4.14%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-16.66%

-15.17%

-1.49%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-21.02%

-33.18%

+12.16%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-27.32%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.37%

-0.86%

+0.49%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-3.91%

-13.17%

+9.26%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.02%

3.37%

-1.35%

Volatility

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO) is 4.21%, while iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (XSEM.TO) has a volatility of 8.35%. This indicates that XAW.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XSEM.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

XAW.TOXSEM.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.21%

8.35%

-4.14%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

9.85%

17.02%

-7.17%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

12.25%

19.47%

-7.22%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

13.56%

17.06%

-3.50%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

15.12%

18.26%

-3.14%

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XAW.TO has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is lower than XSEM.TO's 0.32% expense ratio.

Dividends

XAW.TO vs. XSEM.TO - Dividend Comparison

XAW.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.17%, less than XSEM.TO's 1.41% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
XAW.TO
iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF		1.17%1.33%1.61%1.71%1.79%1.77%1.49%2.02%2.29%1.92%1.80%1.83%
XSEM.TO
iShares ESG Aware MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF		1.41%1.80%2.12%1.12%2.29%2.50%1.16%2.46%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

XAW.TO and XSEM.TO have a correlation of 0.77, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, XAW.TO is cheaper at 0.22% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

XAW.TO is cheaper with a 0.22% expense ratio, compared with 0.32% for XSEM.TO.

XAW.TO is categorized as Global Equities, while XSEM.TO is Emerging Markets Equities. XAW.TO tracks Morningstar Gbl GR CAD, while XSEM.TO tracks Morningstar EM GR CAD. Their fees differ too: 0.22% for XAW.TO and 0.32% for XSEM.TO.

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