OriginaveACWI vs VT: which ETF won each year?
Yearly returns side by side, one winner per year — dividends included, priced as you'd actually buy them.
ACWI
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trusttracks the S&P 500 Index
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index- IVViShares Core S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index
- VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETFtracks the CRSP US Total Market Index
QQQInvesco QQQ Trusttracks the Nasdaq-100 Index- QQQMInvesco NASDAQ 100 ETFtracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- VGTVanguard Information Technology ETFtracks the MSCI US IMI Information Technology 25/50 Index
- ACWIiShares MSCI ACWI ETFtracks the MSCI ACWI Index
- VTVanguard Total World Stock ETFtracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index
- URTHiShares MSCI World ETFtracks the MSCI World Index
SCHGSchwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index- SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index
- VTVVanguard Value ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index
- VUGVanguard Growth ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index
- MTUMiShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETFtracks the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant Index
- SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETFtracks the S&P 500 Momentum Index
- SPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETFtracks the S&P 500 Quality Index
VT
- SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trusttracks the S&P 500 Index
- VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index
- IVViShares Core S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index
- VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETFtracks the CRSP US Total Market Index
- QQQInvesco QQQ Trusttracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- QQQMInvesco NASDAQ 100 ETFtracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- VGTVanguard Information Technology ETFtracks the MSCI US IMI Information Technology 25/50 Index
- ACWIiShares MSCI ACWI ETFtracks the MSCI ACWI Index
- VTVanguard Total World Stock ETFtracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index
- URTHiShares MSCI World ETFtracks the MSCI World Index
- SCHGSchwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
- SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index
- VTVVanguard Value ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index
- VUGVanguard Growth ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index
- MTUMiShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETFtracks the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant Index
- SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETFtracks the S&P 500 Momentum Index
- SPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETFtracks the S&P 500 Quality Index
ACWI tracks the MSCI ACWI IndexVT tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index
What did the last 10 years do to $10,000?
You invest $10,000 at the start of the window and touch nothing — dividends reinvested, the running year not counted.
ACWI vs VT, year by year
Calendar-year total returns (dividends included) side by side, and who took the crown each year. A dash means the fund did not exist yet.
| Year | ACWI | VT | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | +12.94% | +12.86% | ACWI |
| 2025 | +22.41% | +22.43% | VT |
| 2024 | +17.45% | +16.49% | ACWI |
| 2023 | +22.27% | +22.02% | ACWI |
| 2022 | -18.39% | -18.00% | VT |
| 2021 | +18.66% | +18.27% | ACWI |
| 2020 | +16.34% | +16.59% | VT |
| 2019 | +26.59% | +26.81% | VT |
| 2018 | -9.12% | -9.76% | ACWI |
| 2017 | +24.33% | +24.50% | VT |
| 2016 | +8.40% | +8.50% | VT |
| 2015 | -2.21% | -1.86% | VT |
| 2014 | +3.83% | +3.68% | ACWI |
| 2013 | +22.38% | +22.94% | VT |
| 2012 | +16.75% | +17.12% | VT |
| 2011 | -7.82% | -7.51% | VT |
| 2010 | +12.78% | +13.08% | VT |
| 2009 | +32.36% | +32.66% | VT |
| 2008 | -35.29% | -33.05% | VT |
ACWI vs VT in plain words
ACWI tracks the MSCI ACWI Index while VT follows the FTSE Global All Cap Index, so they own different slices of the market and their years can look very different. ACWI charges 0.32% a year in running costs and VT charges 0.06% — VT is the cheaper fund to hold.
Both funds distribute: dividends land in your account as cash instead of being reinvested automatically. Across the 19 calendar years both funds were trading, ACWI finished the year ahead 6 times and VT 13 times. $10,000 invested at the start of 2016 was worth $30,708 in ACWI versus $30,414 in VT by the end of 2025, dividends reinvested.
Fund facts: ACWI vs VT
| Fact | ACWI | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Vanguard Total World Stock ETF |
| Tracks | MSCI ACWI Index | FTSE Global All Cap Index |
| Yearly cost (TER) | 0.32% | 0.06% |
| Dividends | Distributing — dividends paid out | Distributing — dividends paid out |
| Launched | 26 Mar 2008 | 24 Jun 2008 |
| $10,000 invested | What $10,000 in ACWI became | What $10,000 in VT became |
How bumpy the ride was: ACWI vs VT
These head-to-head figures use only the 4,598 trading days both funds were listed: 26 Jun 2008 to 6 Oct 2026, roughly 18.2 years.
ACWI and VT swung about equally: annualised volatility of 20.1% for ACWI against 20.4% for VT, with ACWI moving 1% or more on 27.3% of trading days and VT on 27.3%. ACWI's worst day was -11.22% on 16 Mar 2020; VT's was -12.14% on 15 Oct 2008.
ACWI had the deeper drawdown: it fell -51.58% from its peak on 30 Jun 2008 to a low on 9 Mar 2009, then closed back above the old peak on 18 Jan 2011, 22 months after the low; VT fell -50.26% from its peak on 26 Jun 2008 to a low on 9 Mar 2009, then closed back above the old peak on 29 Dec 2010, 21 months after the low.
Day to day the two move almost in lockstep: the correlation of their daily returns is 0.98, and they closed in opposite directions on 3.6% of the 4,597 days measured. The widest single-day gap came on 29 Oct 2008, when ACWI moved +1.63% and VT +7.37%.
| Measure | ACWI | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Annualised volatility | 20.1% | 20.4% |
| Worst day | -11.22% on 16 Mar 2020 | -12.14% on 15 Oct 2008 |
| Best day | +12.41% on 13 Oct 2008 | +13.45% on 13 Oct 2008 |
| Days moving 1% or more | 27.3% of days | 27.3% of days |
| Deepest drawdown | -51.58% | -50.26% |
| Peak to trough | 30 Jun 2008 → 9 Mar 2009 | 26 Jun 2008 → 9 Mar 2009 |
| Back above the old peak | 18 Jan 2011 · 22 months | 29 Dec 2010 · 21 months |
Years ACWI and VT parted ways
In none of the 18 completed calendar years both funds were trading did the two returns end more than 5 points apart. The widest split was 2008: ACWI returned -35.29% and VT -33.05%, a gap of 2.2 points. They rose together in 13 years and fell together in 5 years.
How often ACWI beat VT over any 12 months
Across the 208 rolling 12-month windows since June 2008, measured month-end to month-end, ACWI finished ahead in 47.6% of them (99) and VT in 52.4% (109).
$200 a month into each, 2009–2025
Putting $200 into each fund at the start of every month from January 2009 to December 2025 (204 payments, $40,800 in total) would have grown to $114,514 in ACWI and $114,121 in VT, leaving ACWI $392 ahead.
| Outcome | ACWI | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Paid in | $40,800 | $40,800 |
| Value at the end of 2025 | $114,514 | $114,121 |
| Gain on the money paid in | +$73,714 | +$73,321 |
| Gain in % | +180.67% | +179.71% |
Each payment rides the return of the month it lands in, dividends reinvested. Only calendar years with all twelve months of data for both funds count, so the plan may start later than the shared history.
Frequently asked
Is ACWI or VT better?
Across the 19 calendar years both funds were trading, ACWI finished the year ahead 6 times and VT 13 times. $10,000 invested at the start of 2016 was worth $30,708 in ACWI versus $30,414 in VT by the end of 2025, dividends reinvested. Past returns don't promise future ones — but this is what actually happened.
What is the difference between ACWI and VT?
ACWI tracks the MSCI ACWI Index while VT follows the FTSE Global All Cap Index, so they own different slices of the market and their years can look very different. ACWI charges 0.32% a year in running costs and VT charges 0.06% — VT is the cheaper fund to hold. Both funds distribute: dividends land in your account as cash instead of being reinvested automatically.
Which is more volatile, ACWI or VT?
ACWI and VT swung about equally: annualised volatility of 20.1% for ACWI against 20.4% for VT, with ACWI moving 1% or more on 27.3% of trading days and VT on 27.3%. ACWI's worst day was -11.22% on 16 Mar 2020; VT's was -12.14% on 15 Oct 2008.
Which had the deeper drawdown, ACWI or VT?
ACWI had the deeper drawdown: it fell -51.58% from its peak on 30 Jun 2008 to a low on 9 Mar 2009, then closed back above the old peak on 18 Jan 2011, 22 months after the low; VT fell -50.26% from its peak on 26 Jun 2008 to a low on 9 Mar 2009, then closed back above the old peak on 29 Dec 2010, 21 months after the low.
How often did ACWI beat VT over a 12-month period?
Across the 208 rolling 12-month windows since June 2008, measured month-end to month-end, ACWI finished ahead in 47.6% of them (99) and VT in 52.4% (109).
What would $10,000 in ACWI have become?
$10,000 invested in ACWI at the start of 2016 grew to $30,708 by the end of 2025, with dividends reinvested — an average of 11.9% per year.
Related comparisons
More head-to-heads featuring ACWI or VT.
Source: Yahoo Finance daily adjusted closes for the US primary listings, dividends reinvested. Prices through · refreshed 7 Oct 2026, 08:49 UTC. How every number is calculated.