NZAC vs. URTH: How A Climate-Focused ETF Matches Up With An International Powerhouse

1 day ago 1

Adé Hennis, The Motley Fool

Sat, January 10, 2026 astatine 10:20 AM CST 5 min read

Both funds way planetary equities, but the iShares MSCI World ETF (NYSEMKT:URTH) focuses connected developed markets, portion the SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF (NASDAQ:NZAC)follows an scale designed to align with the Paris Agreement, an planetary pact that aims to assistance mitigate clime change. This examination breaks down their cardinal differences successful cost, performance, risk, and portfolio constitution to assistance clarify which attack whitethorn entreaty to antithetic investors.

Metric

URTH

NZAC

Issuer

IShares

SPDR

Expense ratio

0.24%

0.12%

1-yr instrumentality (as of Jan. 6, 2026)

19.79%

18.34%

Dividend yield

1.46%

1.87%

*Beta

1.03

1.05

AUM

$6.57 billion

$178.6 million

*Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns.

NZAC is much affordable to hold, with a 0.12% disbursal ratio compared to 0.24% for URTH, and it besides pays a somewhat higher dividend yield, which whitethorn entreaty to cost-conscious oregon income-focused investors.

Metric

URTH

NZAC

Max drawdown (5 y)

-26.06%

-28.29%

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$1,645

$1,500

NZAC targets companies that conscionable climate-aligned criteria, providing investors with vulnerability to efforts aimed astatine reducing clime risks. It holds 729 stocks, with exertion accounting for 32% of assets, followed by fiscal services astatine 16%, and industrials astatine 10%. Top positions see Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) astatine 5.31%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) astatine 4.70%, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) astatine 4.06%. The money has been successful cognition for implicit 11 years and incorporates an ESG surface arsenic a cardinal feature, which helps measure which companies align with applicable sustainability themes.

URTH, by contrast, focuses connected developed markets and holds 1,343 stocks, spreading its assets crossed exertion (28%), fiscal services (16%), and industrials (10%). Its largest holdings are Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft, fundamentally identical to NZAC. However, URTH does not usage ESG screens oregon see emerging markets, resulting successful broader developed-market vulnerability and a deeper banal pool.

For much guidance connected ETF investing, cheque retired the afloat usher astatine this link.

With the emerging marketplace chiefly consisting of tech companies, and galore of the tech giants already passing ESG screens, galore of the holdings, particularly the apical ones, overlap crossed each ETF. Therefore, it tin beryllium challenging to accidental 1 of these ETFs is amended than the other. However, that doesn’t mean investing successful URTH is simply a strategy that’s conscionable arsenic sustainability-focused arsenic investing successful NZAC.


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