Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWX vs VPU: how they differ
ACWX and VPU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and ACWX returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWX and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in ACWX | Only in VPU |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 4.69% | NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% |
| ASML Holding N.V. 1.54% | Southern Co/The 6.70% |
| SK hynix Inc. 1.33% | Duke Energy Corp 6.31% |
| Tencent Holdings Limited 1.07% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.86% | American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.81% | Sempra 3.85% |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited 0.79% | Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% |
| Novartis AG 0.77% | Vistra Corp 3.59% |
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 May 31, 2026.
| ACWX iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF | VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI ex U.S. | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.0% | +2.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.5 pts | −15.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 90.1% |
| Holdings | 1759 | 66 |
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%.
VPU in plain words
VPU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 66 positions, with the top ten at 52.7%. It sat 9.8% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWX or VPU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWX returned +23.0% and VPU returned +2.1%, so ACWX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWX or VPU?
- ACWX charges 0.32% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VPU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWX and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of ACWX and 90% of VPU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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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 VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ACWX-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources