# URTH ETF: fees, returns, drawdowns and holdings

> What URTH holds, its 0.24% yearly fee, returns by year, its worst drop, and which Tactfolio strategies hold it. Updated daily.

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) run by iShares (BlackRock). This fund owns large and medium sized companies in rich countries around the world, including the United States. It charges 0.24% a year. From January 2012 to October 2026 it returned about 12.1% a year, and its worst drop was −34.0%.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 16, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- Expense ratio: 0.24% a year (about $24 on $10,000).
- Started trading on January 10, 2012.
- Last close: $206.34 on October 16, 2026.
- Return over the last year: 15.8%.
- Worst drop since 2012: −34.0%.
- 1 Tactfolio classic strategy holds it.

## How has URTH done since 2012?

From January 2012 to October 2026, URTH returned about 12.1% a year. The S&P 500 returned about 14.7% a year over the same dates. Say you put in $10,000 at the start. It would have been worth about $53,988 at the end, with every dividend reinvested.

| Period | URTH | S&P 500 (SPY) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| 3 months | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| 6 months | 7.4% | 9.3% |
| Year to date | 11.8% | 12.8% |
| 1 year | 15.8% | 16.8% |
| 3 years, per year | 21.0% | 22.0% |
| 5 years, per year | 11.3% | 12.8% |
| 10 years, per year | 13.2% | 15.4% |
| Since 2012, per year | 12.1% | 14.7% |

Periods longer than a year show the return per year (CAGR). Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.

## URTH returns by month and year

URTH rose in 124 of its 178 months (70%). Its best month was November 2020, at 12.9%. Its worst was March 2020, at −13.1%.

| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Full year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part) | 2.1% | 0.6% | −5.7% | 9.2% | 4.3% | −0.5% | 0.4% | 2.7% | −1.2% | 0.1% |  |  | 11.8% |
| 2025 | 3.3% | −0.4% | −4.3% | 0.7% | 5.9% | 4.5% | 1.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 1.9% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 21.4% |
| 2024 | 0.9% | 4.5% | 3.3% | −4.0% | 4.7% | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 1.8% | −2.0% | 4.8% | −2.8% | 18.7% |
| 2023 | 7.1% | −2.6% | 3.2% | 1.8% | −1.0% | 6.0% | 3.2% | −2.2% | −4.4% | −2.5% | 9.1% | 5.0% | 23.9% |
| 2022 | −5.2% | −2.9% | 2.9% | −8.4% | 0.4% | −8.6% | 8.1% | −4.6% | −9.4% | 7.5% | 7.5% | −4.7% | −18.0% |
| 2021 | −0.8% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 2.5% | −4.2% | 5.8% | −2.1% | 4.0% | 22.3% |
| 2020 | −1.1% | −8.3% | −13.1% | 10.8% | 5.0% | 2.6% | 4.9% | 6.5% | −3.3% | −3.0% | 12.9% | 3.9% | 15.8% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | 3.0% | 1.5% | 3.7% | −5.8% | 6.3% | 0.9% | −2.2% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 28.1% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | −4.4% | −1.7% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 3.0% | 1.1% | 0.8% | −7.1% | 1.1% | −7.6% | −8.6% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | 2.6% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.4% | 2.4% | 0.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1.6% | 22.9% |
| 2016 | −6.1% | −0.6% | 6.8% | 1.1% | 0.8% | −0.8% | 4.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | −2.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 7.3% |
| 2015 | −2.5% | 6.7% | −1.4% | 1.8% | 0.4% | −2.7% | 2.6% | −6.6% | −3.5% | 7.0% | 0.3% | −1.8% | −0.6% |
| 2014 | −4.1% | 5.3% | 0.4% | −0.6% | 3.2% | 1.3% | −1.6% | 2.8% | −3.2% | 0.9% | 1.8% | −1.3% | 4.4% |
| 2013 | 4.7% | 0.6% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 2.6% | −4.3% | 5.8% | −1.7% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 2.0% | 1.6% | 26.7% |
| 2012 (part) | 2.7% | 6.5% | 0.0% | 0.4% | −8.5% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 4.5% | −2.3% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 14.7% |

Each month runs from the last close of the month before. The first month counts from the first close.

## How risky is URTH compared with the S&P 500?

Measured from October 2021 to October 2026, on the days both traded.

- **Beta 0.93.** When the S&P 500 moved 1% in a day, URTH tended to move about 0.93%.
- **Correlation 0.98.** URTH mostly moved with the S&P 500.
- **Up and down months.** In months the S&P 500 rose, URTH rose 94% as much on average. In months it fell, URTH fell 98% as much.

| Measure | URTH | S&P 500 (SPY) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Return per year | 11.2% | 12.8% |
| Volatility | 16.3% | 17.1% |
| Worst drop | −26.1% | −24.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.74 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.07 | 1.15 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.43 | 0.52 |

Volatility is how much the price swings in a year. The Sharpe ratio is return per unit of volatility, the Sortino ratio counts only the falls, and the Calmar ratio is the return per year over the worst drop. Higher ratios mean more return for the risk taken.

## Is URTH above its 200-day average?

URTH closed 4.7% above its 200-day average on October 16, 2026. A rule that holds URTH only above that average would hold it today.

- Its 50-day average is 5.7% above its 200-day average.
- It closed 2.4% below its highest close of the last 52 weeks.

A moving average is the average close over the last so many days. Trend rules such as [the 10-month moving average strategy](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/faber-10-month-moving-average.md) hold a fund only while it is above one. You can [build that rule for URTH](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and backtest it in a minute.

## What was URTH's worst drop?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. URTH's worst fall was −34.0%, from February 12, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on August 24, 2020. On October 16, 2026 it was 2.4% below its highest close.

| Drop | Started | Bottom | Back to the high | Fall took | Recovery took |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −34.0% | Feb 12, 2020 | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 24, 2020 | 40 days | 5 months |
| −26.1% | Jan 4, 2022 | Oct 12, 2022 | Dec 19, 2023 | 9 months | 14 months |
| −18.9% | May 19, 2015 | Feb 11, 2016 | Dec 13, 2016 | 9 months | 10 months |
| −18.6% | Jan 26, 2018 | Dec 24, 2018 | May 3, 2019 | 11 months | 4 months |
| −16.9% | Feb 18, 2025 | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 2, 2025 | 2 months | 2 months |

Big drops are normal for some funds. They matter because selling during a drop locks in the loss.

## What does URTH hold?

This fund owns large and medium sized companies in rich countries around the world, including the United States. It does not hold emerging markets like China or India. Its value also moves with foreign currencies.

It tracks the MSCI World Index (Net). It had 1,252 holdings as of October 15, 2026, according to iShares (BlackRock).

| Fact | URTH |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | iShares MSCI World ETF |
| Issuer | iShares (BlackRock) |
| Expense ratio | 0.24% a year |
| Started trading | January 10, 2012 |
| Tracks | MSCI World Index (Net) |
| Type | Global stocks, ETF |
| Holdings | 1,252 holdings as of October 15, 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 16, 2026 on the [iShares (BlackRock) fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239696/ishares-msci-world-etf) |

## What is the URTH expense ratio?

URTH charges 0.24% a year. An expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes to run itself. On $10,000, a 0.24% fee comes to about $24 a year. Of the 162 ETFs on Tactfolio, 30% charge more.

You never get a bill for it. The fund takes the fee out of its own value a little each day.

## Which Tactfolio strategies hold URTH?

One classic strategy holds URTH at least some of the time. Each is a set of written rules you can open, test and copy.

- [Global Risk Parity Trend-Following (Clare et al.)](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/global-risk-parity-trend-following.md), by Andrew Clare, James Seaton, Peter N. Smith, and Stephen Thomas, 2016

## How does URTH compare with similar ETFs?

Funds that can stand in for URTH:

- [VT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VT.md): Vanguard Total World Stock ETF, 0.06% a year
- [AVGE](https://tactfolio.com/etf/AVGE.md): Avantis All Equity Markets ETF, 0.23% a year
- [ACWI](https://tactfolio.com/etf/ACWI.md): iShares MSCI ACWI ETF, 0.32% a year
- [VEU](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VEU.md): Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF, 0.04% a year

See [all 8 URTH alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/URTH.md), compared on the same dates as URTH.

## Test URTH in your own rules

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add URTH, and see how a rule such as "hold it only above its 200-day average" would have done. Strategies run on daily prices and hold US stocks and ETFs only.

## The details

Prices come from Tactfolio's stored daily prices for URTH and SPY. Each close is adjusted for splits, and dividends are reinvested on the day the fund pays them out. CAGR is the steady yearly return that turns the starting value into the ending value. Volatility is the yearly standard deviation of daily returns. Beta and correlation compare daily returns with the S&P 500 over the same dates.

Fund facts come from iShares (BlackRock). We checked them on October 16, 2026. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) and [how to read drawdown and CAGR](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/reading-a-backtest.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [Portfolio rebalancing](https://tactfolio.com/learn/portfolio-rebalancing): What portfolio rebalancing is, why a 60/40 mix drifts, calendar vs threshold methods, and how taxes and costs fit in.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.
- [Backtesting](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting): Free backtesting software for stocks, ETFs, and crypto perps.

## Common questions

### What is the expense ratio of URTH?

URTH charges 0.24% a year, according to iShares (BlackRock) as of October 16, 2026. That is about $24 a year for every $10,000 you hold.

### When did URTH start trading?

URTH started trading on January 10, 2012. It is run by iShares (BlackRock).

### What does URTH track?

URTH tracks the MSCI World Index (Net). This fund owns large and medium sized companies in rich countries around the world, including the United States.

### How much has URTH returned per year?

From January 2012 to October 2026, URTH returned about 12.1% a year with dividends reinvested. Its worst drop was −34.0%. Past returns do not tell you what it will do next.

### Is URTH above its 200-day moving average?

On October 16, 2026, URTH closed 4.7% above its 200-day moving average. This page updates after each US market close.

### Which strategies use URTH?

One of Tactfolio's classic strategies hold URTH, including Global Risk Parity Trend-Following (Clare et al.).

## Sources

- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares MSCI World ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239696/ishares-msci-world-etf)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.