iShares IXUS ETF Outperforms the SPDR NZAC ETF in Yield and 1 Year Return
Key takeaways
- While both funds offer international equity exposure, they serve different roles in a diversified portfolio.
- The iShares fund is more affordable for long-term holders with an expense ratio of 0.07%, compared to 0.12% for the SPDR fund.
- Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return)
Cory Renauer, The Motley Fool Sun, May 3, 2026 at 10:45 PM GMT+7 4 min read STT Choosing between i Shares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ:IXUS) and State Street SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF (NASDAQ:NZAC) involves weighing broad international exposure against a climate-conscious, tech-heavy global strategy.
While both funds offer international equity exposure, they serve different roles in a diversified portfolio. The i Shares ETF targets non-U.S. stocks across both developed and emerging markets, providing massive geographical diversification. In contrast, the State Street fund is a global vehicle that includes U.S. positions but filters them through an environmental screen to align with the Paris Agreement.
The iShares fund is more affordable for long-term holders with an expense ratio of 0.07%, compared to 0.12% for the SPDR fund. For income-seeking investors, IXUS also offers a significantly higher payout, with a trailing-12-month distribution yield that exceeds NZAC’s by 1.12 percentage points.