Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWX vs VEA: how they differ
ACWX and VEA hold 15% of their weight in the same names, and VEA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF and Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWX and VEA hold 15% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWX | VEA |
|---|---|---|
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA | 0.69% | 0.90% |
| THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK | 0.50% | 0.63% |
| Allianz SE | 0.47% | 0.56% |
| Siemens Energy AG | 0.45% | 0.45% |
| UBS Group AG | 0.39% | 0.48% |
| Enbridge Inc. | 0.33% | 0.37% |
| BANK OF MONTREAL | 0.29% | 0.39% |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | 0.32% | 0.29% |
| GSK PLC | 0.29% | 0.33% |
| CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE | 0.28% | 0.33% |
| Zurich Insurance Group AG | 0.28% | 0.34% |
| THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA | 0.27% | 0.33% |
| Only in ACWX | Only in VEA |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 4.69% | ASML Holding NV 2.37% |
| ASML Holding N.V. 1.54% | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.56% |
| SK hynix Inc. 1.33% | SK hynix Inc 1.40% |
| Tencent Holdings Limited 1.07% | HSBC Holdings PLC 1.01% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.86% | Novartis AG 0.91% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.81% | AstraZeneca PLC 0.87% |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited 0.79% | Nestle SA 0.82% |
| Novartis AG 0.77% | 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.
| ACWX iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF | VEA Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI ex U.S. | Developed markets ex US |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.0% | +24.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.5 pts | +7.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 1759 | 3870 |
ACWX in plain words
ACWX is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI ACWI ex U.S.. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +23.0% 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, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1759 positions, with the top ten at 14.6%.
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, ACWX or VEA?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWX returned +23.0% and VEA returned +24.5%, so VEA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWX or VEA?
- ACWX charges 0.32% a year and VEA charges 0.03%, so VEA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWX and VEA overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of ACWX and 0% of VEA by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 15% 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, ACWX against VEA, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ACWX-VEA Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources