A Dominant Year for the iShares MSCI World ETF

MSCI World ETF US4642863926

As 2025 draws to a close, the iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) is poised to finish the year with a substantial double-digit gain. This performance has been fueled primarily by the sustained rally in major U.S. technology stocks. However, this success has come with an increasing concentration in a handful of mega-cap companies—a dynamic that provides momentum in bullish markets but also introduces significant single-stock risk.

The fund has demonstrated robust growth throughout the year, outperforming broader global indices that have been more affected by volatility in emerging markets.

Recent Performance (as of latest data):
* Year-to-Date (2025): +20.97%
* One-Year Return: +20.16%
* One-Month Gain: +2.10%
* One-Week Movement: +0.05% (indicating a sideways trend)

Fund Structure and Liquidity:
* Assets Under Management (AUM): $6.73 billion
* Current Trading Price: Approximately $187.81 per share
* Average Daily Volume: Between 300,000 and 500,000 shares
* Bid/Ask Spread: A narrow average of around $0.06
This liquidity profile makes the ETF easily tradable for both private and most institutional investors, even if its volume doesn't match the very largest funds like SPY.

Dividend Information:
The ETF recently traded ex-dividend, distributing about $1.50 per share. This translates to a trailing dividend yield of roughly 1.27%. The fund typically trades at a slight premium of approximately 0.15% to its net asset value (NAV).

A Portfolio Concentrated in U.S. Tech Leadership

The most recent MSCI index rebalancing in November 2025 further shaped the ETF's composition. Soaring market capitalizations of global technology leaders have pushed the fund's U.S. exposure even higher. American equities now account for nearly 70% of the total portfolio weight.

While the fund holds approximately 1,300 securities from developed markets, its returns are heavily influenced by its largest holdings. The top ten positions alone constitute about 27.4% of the fund, with a pronounced emphasis on the technology and communication services sectors, which together make up over 35%.

Leading Holdings (% Weight):
1. NVIDIA: 5.46
2. Apple: 4.84
3. Microsoft: 4.11
4. Amazon: 2.66
5. Alphabet (Class A): 2.18
6. Broadcom: 1.87
7. Alphabet (Class C): 1.84
8. Meta Platforms: 1.72
9. Tesla: 1.63
10. JPMorgan Chase: 1.08

This list underscores NVIDIA's position as the fund's largest single holding, ahead of Apple and Microsoft. Although countries like Japan (approx. 5.5%), the United Kingdom (approx. 3.6%), and Canada (approx. 3.0%) are represented, their impact on overall performance remains secondary.

Strategic Positioning in the ETF Landscape

URTH offers a distinct strategy by focusing exclusively on developed markets. This sets it apart from global "All World" products that include emerging market exposure and from EAFE-focused funds that exclude the United States. Investors thus gain a core global equity holding with a heavy U.S. bias and a deliberate exclusion of emerging markets.

Heading into the new year, the ETF's profile is defined by three key characteristics:
* Significant outperformance compared to broader world indices that include emerging markets.
* A high degree of dependence on the fortunes of a few U.S. technology giants.
* A moderate dividend yield coupled with sufficient liquidity for standard trading activity.

The fund's future trajectory will likely be determined by the price movements of these major U.S. technology stocks and any potential portfolio shifts during future index rebalances.