XAW ETF provides exposure to a broadly diversified portfolio of US, international, and emerging market stocks. It replicates the performance of the MSCI ACWI ex Canada IMI Index, net of expenses.
The ETF captures large, mid, and small-cap companies across 22 of 23 developed markets countries (excluding Canada) and 27 emerging market countries by investing primarily in six ETFs.
XAW ETF invests in securities of one or more ETFs managed by BlackRock or an affiliate.
Pros of iShares XAW ETF
- XAW provides global portfolio diversification.
- It seeks to provide long-term capital growth.
- It provides global diversification – US (~60%), international (~29%), and emerging market (~12%).
- XAW has a lower MER fee and higher distribution yield when compared to its peer, VXC ETF.
- The ETF rebalances itself without you worrying about.
- More beneficial in terms of fees, taxes, and currency risks.
Cons of iShares XAW ETF
- Only that the S&P 500 index still beat it
iShares XAW ETF Facts
- Inception Date: February 10, 2015
- Benchmark: MSCI ACWI ex Canada IMI
- Net Assets: $1,621M
- MER: 0.22%
- 12 Month Trailing Yield: 1.40%
- Distribution Yield: 1.39%
- Dividend Schedule: Semi-annual
iShares XAW MER – Management Expense Ratio
XAW’s management fee stands at 0.20% and MER is 0.22%. Its contemporary Vanguard’s VXC ETF has a MER of 0.27%.
The MER is what Blackrock takes to manage the fund for you. It’s much cheaper than mutual funds and in some cases cheaper than investing on your own.
Mutual funds can charge over 2% and it robs you of your returns. It’s time to ditch your mutual funds and switch to ETF ASAP. Many brokers such as Questrade offer free ETFs.
iShares XAW Performance
The annual rate of return for iShares XAW ETF since inception is 10.26%. It has underperformed the broader S&P500 index.
The annual rate of return for iShares XAW ETF since inception is 10.26%. When you compare with my annual ROR of 14.40%, there is a big difference. Just look at the S&P 500 index to get a different perspective.
Take your TFSA account as an example. The rules are the same for everyone and I mean everyone. The growth is ultimately a factor of your investment performance provided you make your TFSA contribution limit every year. The annual performance of an ETF matters as you can see below the growth over 20+ years.
iShares XAW ETF Holdings
As it happens, XAW is an ETF build from other ETFs. It is made up of 6 ETFs
- IVV ETF – iShares Core S&P
- XEF ETF – iShares MSCI EAFE IMI Index
- IEMG ETF – iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets
- IJH ETF – iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap
- IJR ETF – iShares Core S&P Small-Cap
- ITOT ETF – iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock
iShares XAW ETF Sector Allocation
iShares XAW is more balanced than others but it also cover the world with 60% of the coverage coming from the US.
| wdt_ID | Sector | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Financials | 14.13 |
| 2 | Utilities | 2.81 |
| 3 | Communication Services | 8.61 |
| 4 | Consumer Cyclical | 6.83 |
| 5 | Energy | 3.11 |
| 6 | Basic Materials | 5.50 |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | Industrials | 11.41 |
| 9 | Consumer Defensive | 3.57 |
| 10 | Real Estate | 3.42 |
| 11 | Cash | 0.16 |
| 12 | Technology | 19.41 |
| 13 | Healthcare | 11.33 |
Why hold iShares XAW ETF
XAW beats all other Canadian Dividend ETF which makes it the best but it’s not about the dividend income but about total returns.
If you want the dividends, it’s not clear you will get the same growth but the the best banks and the best utility stocks will give you more income.