Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWI vs EWJ: how they differ
ACWI and EWJ hold 5% of their weight in the same names, and EWJ returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF and iShares MSCI Japan ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWI and EWJ hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWI | EWJ |
|---|---|---|
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP | 0.25% | 4.70% |
| TOYOTA MOTOR | 0.18% | 3.41% |
| ADVANTEST | 0.16% | 2.98% |
| SOFTBANK GROUP | 0.16% | 3.04% |
| SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP | 0.16% | 3.01% |
| TOKYO ELECTRON | 0.15% | 2.82% |
| HITACHI | 0.14% | 2.75% |
| KIOXIA HOLDINGS | 0.14% | 2.68% |
| MIZUHO FINANCIAL GROUP | 0.13% | 2.40% |
| RECRUIT HOLDINGS LTD | 0.13% | 2.52% |
| SONY GROUP | 0.13% | 2.54% |
| KEYENCE | 0.09% | 1.73% |
| Only in ACWI | Only in EWJ |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA 4.89% | NIPPON SANSO HOLDINGS 0.11% |
| APPLE 4.67% | TOHO (TOKYO) 0.10% |
| MICROSOFT 3.38% | NISSAN MOTOR 0.09% |
| AMAZON.COM INC 2.38% | OTSUKA CORP 0.09% |
| ALPHABET CLASS A 1.90% | HIKARI TSUSHIN INC 0.08% |
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING 1.86% | SUNTORY BEVERAGE & FOOD LTD 0.07% |
| BROADCOM INC 1.59% | ANA HOLDINGS 0.06% |
| ALPHABET CLASS C 1.50% | KYOWA KIRIN LTD 0.06% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI | MSCI Japan |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +26.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +9.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.49% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 61.4% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 1630 | 171 |
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 Sep 10, 2026, 61% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1630 positions, with the top ten at 24.6%.
EWJ in plain words
EWJ is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +26.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 171 positions, with the top ten at 30.4%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWI or EWJ?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWI returned +19.1% and EWJ returned +26.5%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWI or EWJ?
- ACWI charges 0.32% a year and EWJ charges 0.49%, so ACWI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWI and EWJ overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 61% of ACWI and 0% of EWJ by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 5% 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 EWJ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/acwi-vs-ewj Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources