ETF Versus

EWU vs EWZ

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF vs iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

EWU

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to uk equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.50%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.54%. Launched in 1996, the fund has a 30-year track record.

AUM: $3.2B ER: 0.50% Yield: 3.54% Since: Mar 12, 1996
EWZ

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to brazil equity securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.59%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.30%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $9.3B ER: 0.59% Yield: 4.30% Since: Jul 10, 2000

Quick Verdict

EWU has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.50% vs 0.59%), saving about $172 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, EWZ has significantly outperformed with a 46.8% return vs 23.8%. Income investors may prefer EWZ for its higher yield (4.3% vs 3.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric EWU EWZ
Expense Ratio 0.50% 0.59%
Dividend Yield 3.5% 4.3%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category UK Equity Brazil Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 83 101 119 137 155 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
EWU +44.4%
EWZ +14.3%

Performance Comparison

Period EWU EWZ Difference
1 Month -3.68% -0.70% -2.98%
3 Months +4.25% +19.16% -14.91%
6 Months +8.70% +26.51% -17.81%
YTD +4.25% +19.16% -14.91%
1 Year +23.80% +46.79% -22.99%
3 Years +41.61% +40.60% +1.01%
5 Years +44.39% +14.26% +30.13%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EWU Fees EWZ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $979 $1.151 $172
$10.000 20 years $4.131 $4.837 $706
$10.000 30 years $13.077 $15.249 $2.172
$50.000 10 years $4.895 $5.754 $860
$50.000 30 years $65.385 $76.247 $10.862
$100.000 30 years $130.770 $152.494 $21.724

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EWU EWZ
Annualized Volatility 16.6% 28.5%
Max Drawdown -26.2% -46.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.26 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric EWU EWZ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.64 $1.65
Dividend Yield 3.54% 4.30%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EWU Top Holdings

NameWeight
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN9.67%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA8.98%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL8.65%
Unilever PLC!lon/ULVR4.26%
British American Tobacco p.l.c.!lon/BATS4.13%
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc!lon/RR4.06%
BP p.l.c.!lon/BP4.01%
GSK plc!lon/GSK3.64%
Rio Tinto Group!lon/RIO3.22%
BAE Systems plc!lon/BA2.70%

EWZ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vale S.A.!bvmf/VALE310.33%
Nu Holdings Ltd.NU8.81%
Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A.!bvmf/ITUB48.27%
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras!bvmf/PETR37.33%
B3 S.A. - Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão!bvmf/B3SA33.51%
Banco Bradesco S.A.!bvmf/BBDC43.28%
WEG S.A.!bvmf/WEGE33.09%
Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP!bvmf/SBSP32.91%
Ambev S.A.!bvmf/ABEV32.72%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose EWU if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose EWZ if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose EWZ if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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