ACWI vs VT: Correlation & Overlap
How closely do iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) and Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 1.00, which is very strong. By holdings, the two funds overlap 87.6% by weight.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are ACWI and VT?
On 3 years of weekly data the ACWI/VT correlation comes out at 1.00, very strong, meaning they move nearly in lockstep. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 1.00 lands near the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 1.00, and annualized covariance runs at 190.6 %².
VT is one of the assets that tracks ACWI most closely: it ranks #1 out of the 119 assets we track against ACWI. Neither side won the trailing year by much: +22.7% against +22.7%. The link looks structural: the rolling one-year correlation barely moved, holding between 1.00 and 1.00.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
ACWI vs VT: side by side
| ACWI (iShares MSCI ACWI ETF) | VT (Vanguard Total World Stock ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +22.7% | +22.7% |
| 5-year return | +69.0% | +67.7% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 13.8% | 13.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.92 | 0.92 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -16.5% | -16.5% |
| Dividend yield | 1.44% | 1.59% |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.06% |
| Assets under management | $32.5B | $97.9B |
| Sector / category | ETF · Global | ETF · Global |
ACWI, iShares's Global Large-Stock Blend fund, carries $32.5B under management, 1590 holdings, a 0.32% expense ratio, a 1.44% trailing dividend yield. VT is a Global Large-Stock Blend fund from Vanguard: $97.9B under management, 5308 holdings, a 0.06% expense ratio, a 1.59% trailing dividend yield.
Portfolio overlap between ACWI and VT
The two portfolios are near-duplicates: 87.6% of the funds' weight sits in the same underlying holdings (1490 common positions). Correlation tells you they move together; overlap tells you why.
| Common holding | Weight in ACWI | Weight in VT |
|---|---|---|
| NVDA | 4.64% | 4.20% |
| AAPL | 4.41% | 4.00% |
| MSFT | 3.35% | 3.09% |
| AMZN | 2.41% | 2.36% |
| GOOGL | 1.91% | 1.89% |
| 2330 | 1.79% | 1.61% |
| AVGO | 1.53% | 1.62% |
| GOOG | 1.50% | 1.49% |
| META | 1.21% | 1.10% |
| JPM | 0.92% | 0.84% |
| MU | 1.01% | 0.83% |
| LLY | 0.91% | 0.82% |
| TSLA | 0.93% | 0.81% |
| 005930 | 0.84% | 0.72% |
| AMD | 0.75% | 0.69% |
Largest positions held only by ACWI: RELIANCE (0.08%), HDFCBANK (0.08%), ICICIBANK (0.07%), BHARTIARTL (0.05%), VMRK (0.05%). Only by VT: SNDK (0.16%), BRK.A (0.09%), EA (0.05%), STMMI (0.03%), AVB (0.02%).
Overlap = sum of the smaller of the two weights across common holdings, from issuer disclosures as of 2026-08-26. Top 15 common positions shown.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | ACWI | VT |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -18.4% | -18.0% |
| 2023 | +22.3% | +22.0% |
| 2024 | +17.4% | +16.5% |
| 2025 | +22.4% | +22.4% |
| 2026 | +14.9% | +15.2% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are ACWI and VT good diversifiers for each other?
Not really. At 1.00, the two trade almost as one position, and owning both buys little extra protection. On top of that, 87.6% of their holdings are the same, making the doubling-up even more literal.
FAQ
What is the correlation between ACWI and VT?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 1.00 over 3 years, with 1.00 over the last year and 1.00 over 5 years.
Is VT a good diversifier for ACWI?
Not really. At 1.00, the two trade almost as one position, and owning both buys little extra protection. On top of that, 87.6% of their holdings are the same, making the doubling-up even more literal.
How much do ACWI and VT overlap?
87.6% by weight, across 1490 common holdings, based on issuer-disclosed portfolios as of 2026-08-26.
Use this data
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Related comparisons
Hubs: ACWI correlations · VT correlations
