ACWI

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to track the performance of a broad global index composed of large- and mid-cap stocks across developed and emerging markets worldwide. The ETF is managed by BlackRock and trades under the ticker ACWI on NYSE Arca.

Classified as an international equity ETF with a global focus, ACWI aims to reflect, before fees and expenses, the aggregated performance of the stocks included in its benchmark index. 

To achieve this objective, the fund employs a passive management strategy, maintaining a portfolio that seeks to replicate the composition and weighting of the global equity index.

ACWI’s benchmark is based on the MSCI All Country World Index, which includes companies from both developed and emerging markets, weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization with periodic rebalancing to reflect changes in the global equity landscape.

Diversification and sector exposure

ACWI provides broad exposure to the global equity market, including companies across sectors such as:

• Information technology.

• Health care.

• Consumer discretionary.

• Consumer staples.

• Financials.

• Industrials.

• Energy.

Structure and costs

Shares of ACWI are traded on the secondary market, while creation and redemption of shares are carried out by authorized participants, a mechanism that helps keep the ETF’s market price close to its net asset value (NAV).

The fund features a competitive expense ratio, typical of broad passive ETFs, and does not charge a performance fee. ACWI may make periodic income distributions, derived from dividends paid by the underlying stocks. The ETF has a single share class and trades exclusively under the ticker ACWI.

History and evolution of the ETF

The iShares MSCI ACWI ETF was launched in 2008, amid growth in the ETF industry and increased demand for instruments that provide broad global equity exposure in a single exchange-traded vehicle.

Since its inception, ACWI has been widely used by institutional and individual investors as a core vehicle for accessing the global equity market, both in total allocation strategies and as a complement to regional portfolios.

Between 2020 and 2024, the ETF reflected cycles of growth and volatility in developed and emerging markets, including key macroeconomic events, shifts in global monetary policy, and changes in risk appetite, while maintaining high liquidity and broad adoption as a global diversification tool.