Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWX vs VUG: how they differ
ACWX and VUG 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 Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWX and VUG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWX | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| SUNBELT RENTALS HOLDINGS, INC. | 0.09% | 0.06% |
| Only in ACWX | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 4.69% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| ASML Holding N.V. 1.54% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| SK hynix Inc. 1.33% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| Tencent Holdings Limited 1.07% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.86% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.81% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited 0.79% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| Novartis AG 0.77% | Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% |
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 | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI ex U.S. | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.0% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.5 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 1759 | 147 |
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%.
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% 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, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWX or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWX returned +23.0% and VUG returned +12.9%, so ACWX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWX or VUG?
- ACWX charges 0.32% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWX and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of ACWX and 97% of VUG 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 VUG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ACWX-VUG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources