International Exposure: SPDW's Lower Costs vs. URTH's U.S. Giants

The iShares MSCI World ETF (NYSEMKT:URTH) and SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (NYSEMKT:SPDW) disagree astir successful cost, yield, determination exposure, and apical holdings concentration, with SPDW offering little expenses and a non-U.S. focus, portion URTH tilts toward U.S. technology.

Both the iShares MSCI World ETF and the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF purpose to springiness investors wide entree to developed marketplace equities, but their attack and portfolio creation acceptable them apart. This examination looks astatine cost, performance, risk, and what’s wrong to assistance investors determine which money could amended acceptable their strategy.

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

SPDW is importantly much affordable, with an disbursal ratio of 0.03% compared to URTH’s 0.24%, and besides delivers a higher dividend yield, which whitethorn entreaty to cost-conscious oregon income-focused investors.

SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF offers vulnerability to developed markets extracurricular the United States, with a portfolio that leans into Financial Services (23%), Industrials (19%), and Technology (11%). The money holds 2,390 stocks, making it broadly diversified, and its largest positions—Roche, Novartis, and Toyota Motor—each marque up astir 1% of assets. Launched astir 19 years ago, SPDW’s breadth and determination tilt could assistance trim reliance connected the U.S. market.

URTH, by contrast, includes U.S. equities and is much concentrated successful Technology (34%), with apical positions successful Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft collectively accounting for astir 14% of assets. This means URTH whitethorn determination much intimately with U.S. tech, portion SPDW offers a much globally ex-U.S. approach.

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Both ETFs capitalized connected 2025's beardown planetary banal rally, with SPDW gaining astir 35% and URTH rising 23% implicit the past year. International markets surged arsenic the U.S. dollar weakened and investors sought opportunities beyond America's costly tech stocks. SPDW delivered stronger returns by avoiding U.S. vulnerability entirely, focusing alternatively connected developed markets similar Japan, the U.K., and Canada.