Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWI vs VEA: how they differ
ACWI and VEA hold 6% of their weight in the same names, and VEA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF and Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWI and VEA hold 6% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWI | VEA |
|---|---|---|
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA | 0.25% | 0.90% |
| THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK | 0.18% | 0.63% |
| Allianz SE | 0.17% | 0.56% |
| Siemens Energy AG | 0.17% | 0.45% |
| UBS Group AG | 0.14% | 0.48% |
| Enbridge Inc. | 0.12% | 0.37% |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | 0.12% | 0.29% |
| BANK OF MONTREAL | 0.11% | 0.39% |
| CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE | 0.11% | 0.33% |
| GSK PLC | 0.10% | 0.33% |
| Zurich Insurance Group AG | 0.10% | 0.34% |
| CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LIMITED | 0.10% | 0.25% |
| Only in ACWI | Only in VEA |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORPORATION 4.89% | ASML Holding NV 2.37% |
| APPLE INC. 4.02% | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.56% |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION 2.90% | SK hynix Inc 1.40% |
| AMAZON.COM, INC. 2.58% | HSBC Holdings PLC 1.01% |
| ALPHABET INC. 2.26% | Novartis AG 0.91% |
| BROADCOM INC. 1.90% | AstraZeneca PLC 0.87% |
| ALPHABET INC. 1.87% | Nestle SA 0.82% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 1.73% | Siemens AG 0.73% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | VEA Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI | Developed markets ex US |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +24.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +7.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 61.4% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 2307 | 3870 |
ACWI in plain words
ACWI is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI ACWI. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 61% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2307 positions, with the top ten at 24.6%.
VEA in plain words
VEA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +24.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3870 positions, with the top ten at 13.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWI or VEA?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWI returned +19.1% and VEA returned +24.5%, so VEA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWI or VEA?
- ACWI charges 0.32% a year and VEA charges 0.03%, so VEA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWI and VEA overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 61% of ACWI and 0% of VEA by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 6% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, ACWI against VEA, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ACWI-VEA Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources