URTH ETF

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) tracks the MSCI World Index, owning about 1,400 developed market equities with a 0.24% expense ratio. URTH benefits from high exposure to U.S. and technology stocks, which have strong competitive advantages and growth potential. Improving global economic outlook and rising PMI indicate better earnings growth for URTH in 2025 and 2026.

iShares MSCI World ETF captures a strong mix of U.S. and developed market holdings, but the fund has a relatively high expense ratio. There are multiple reasons to believe that international equities may outperform the U.S. market over the next decade, including current valuations, earnings, and macro-level risk factors. Investors can achieve similar international diversification to URTH with lower fees by combining U.S. total market and developed market funds from Vanguard or Schwab.

The iShares MSCI World ETF is a global equity fund with AUM of $3.13 billion recently, in spite of slightly negative net fund flows over the past year. URTH has a heavy weight in favor of the United States (70.88% of the fund) and key sector exposures in Technology, Financial Services, and Healthcare. Despite underperforming the S&P 500 in the past, URTH is nevertheless presently undervalued per my calculations, which may also indicate that broader equity markets are undervalued.

iShares MSCI World ETF is heavily weighted towards US stocks, despite being a global fund. Top holdings include Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Alphabet. The ETF is predominantly invested in Information Technology, followed by Financials and Health Care sectors.

Explore the limitations of the MSCI World Index and ETFs like URTH in an era of market concentration and trillion-dollar valuations, prompting a need for general reevaluation. Understand how prioritizing profitability over market capitalization can offer a more resilient and risk-mitigated approach, with a focus on earning power and adaptability. Discover practical steps for constructing a balanced portfolio that combines global earning power and safe bonds, allowing flexibility during crises while aiming for long-term stability.