ETF Versus

EWU vs MCHI

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF vs iShares MSCI China 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

iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to china equity securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.59%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.27%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $6.5B ER: 0.59% Yield: 2.27% Since: Mar 29, 2011

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, EWU has significantly outperformed with a 23.8% return vs 2.7%. Income investors may prefer EWU for its higher yield (3.5% vs 2.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric EWU MCHI
Expense Ratio 0.50% 0.59%
Dividend Yield 3.5% 2.3%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category UK Equity China Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

40 63 86 109 132 155 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
EWU +44.4%
MCHI -32.6%

Performance Comparison

Period EWU MCHI Difference
1 Month -3.68% -4.29% +0.61%
3 Months +4.25% -10.03% +14.28%
6 Months +8.70% -15.85% +24.55%
YTD +4.25% -10.03% +14.28%
1 Year +23.80% +2.66% +21.14%
3 Years +41.61% +12.27% +29.34%
5 Years +44.39% -32.61% +77.00%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EWU Fees MCHI 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 MCHI
Annualized Volatility 16.6% 30.8%
Max Drawdown -26.2% -57.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.26 -0.25

Dividend Comparison

Metric EWU MCHI
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.64 $1.27
Dividend Yield 3.54% 2.27%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 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%

MCHI Top Holdings

NameWeight
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/070015.25%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/998810.18%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09393.75%
Xiaomi Corporation!hkg/18102.74%
PDD Holdings Inc.PDD2.68%
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited!hkg/13982.08%
Meituan!hkg/36902.06%
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.!hkg/23181.92%
BYD Company Limited!hkg/12111.90%
Bank of China Limited!hkg/39881.67%

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 EWU if...

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

Choose EWU if...

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

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