The iShares MSCI World Small Cap UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (WSML) is an Ireland-domiciled equity ETF managed by BlackRock and traded on the London Stock Exchange.

The fund seeks to track the performance of the MSCI World Small Cap Index, a benchmark composed of small-cap companies across developed markets.

WSML provides exposure to the small-cap segment of developed equity markets, including companies across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The ETF follows a passive investment strategy and uses optimized physical replication to track its benchmark. It operates under the UCITS framework and follows an accumulating income policy.

The MSCI World Small Cap Index includes small-cap companies across 23 developed markets and covers approximately 14% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country. Its methodology uses free float-adjusted market-capitalization weighting to represent the small-cap segment of developed equity markets.

Composition / Exposure Profile

WSML holds companies across several sectors of developed economies, including:

• Industrials.

• Financials.

• Information technology.

• Consumer discretionary.

• Health care.

• Real estate.

• Materials.

• Consumer staples.

• Energy.

• Communication services.

• Utilities.

Geographically, the fund provides exposure to developed markets such as the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and countries across Europe and Asia-Pacific.

By tracking the small-cap segment, WSML provides exposure to companies with smaller market capitalizations than those represented in major large- and mid-cap indexes. Its benchmark universe is broadly diversified across thousands of companies, sectors, and developed markets.

Structure and Costs

WSML trades in U.S. dollars on the London Stock Exchange. Both the fund's base currency and share class currency are the U.S. dollar.

The ETF has a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.35% per year and uses a physical structure with an optimized replication methodology. It is domiciled in Ireland, operates under the UCITS framework, is part of iShares III plc, and is managed by BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited.

WSML is an accumulating share class, meaning dividends and other income generated by its holdings are reinvested within the fund rather than distributed periodically to shareholders.

History and Evolution of the ETF

The iShares MSCI World Small Cap UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (WSML) was launched in 2018 by BlackRock to provide diversified exposure to small-cap companies across developed markets.

Since its launch, the fund has maintained a passive strategy linked to the MSCI World Small Cap Index, providing exposure to thousands of small-cap companies across different countries and sectors.

Throughout its history, the fund's performance has reflected cycles in developed equity markets and the relative performance of smaller companies, which can differ from that of large- and mid-cap stocks.

Additional Information

iShares MSCI World Small Cap UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (Ireland) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF), with assets under management totaling $7.52 billion.

Over the past 12 months, iShares MSCI World Small Cap UCITS ETF USD (Acc) recorded a return of 13.85%, with its price trading between $8.49 and $10.81 during the same period.

The ETF is traded under the ticker WSML.