Vanguard VXUS vs. iShares IXUS: Which ETF Wins This International Showdown?

Erin Kennedy, The Motley Fool

Wed, July 8, 2026 astatine 7:35 AM CDT 4 min read

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ:VXUS) and iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ:IXUS) connection astir identical planetary marketplace vulnerability with subtle differences successful yield, disbursal ratios, and portfolio depth.

These funds service arsenic halfway holdings for investors seeking to equilibrium a U.S.-heavy portfolio with wide planetary exposure, including important stakes successful Europe, the Pacific, and emerging markets. While the iShares money covers large-, mid-, and small-cap companies, the Vanguard ETF tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index, providing 1 of the astir broad planetary banal samplings disposable to retail investors.

Snapshot (cost & size)

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

Vanguard is the terms person present with a 0.05% disbursal ratio, though iShares remains highly competitory astatine 0.07%. I personally would not quibble implicit a 2-basis-point difference. IXUS presently offers a somewhat higher trailing-12-month dividend yield.

Performance & hazard examination

What's wrong

The iShares ETF replicates an scale consisting of large-, mid-, and small-cap companies based extracurricular the United States. It presently holds 4,337 stocks, with a portfolio heavy weighted toward exertion astatine 24%, fiscal services astatine 23%, and industrials astatine 14%. Its largest positions see Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TWSE:2330) astatine 4.45%, Samsung Electronics (KOSE:A005930) astatine 2.01%, and SK hynix (KOSE:A000660) astatine 1.82%. The money was launched successful 2012. It has paid $2.80 per stock implicit the trailing 12 months.

The Vanguard money mirrors the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index, providing adjacent broader vulnerability with 8,738 holdings. This ETF includes a larger attraction of microcap stocks than its iShares peer. Its assemblage allocation presently favors fiscal services astatine 22%, exertion astatine 21%, and industrials astatine 16%. Top holdings see Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing astatine 3.99%, Samsung Electronics astatine 2.19%, and SK hynix astatine 1.87%. The money was launched successful 2011. It has paid $2.19 per stock implicit the trailing 12 months.