What is the MSCI ACWI YTD return in 2026?
The MSCI ACWI is up +15.15% year to date with dividends reinvested (total return through Sep 4, 2026), or +14.41% on price alone — dividends have added 0.74 points so far. ACWI started the year at $141.49 and closed at $161.88. That makes 2026 the 5th best start in 18 years of data through this date.
Price return vs total return#
Total return assumes distributions are reinvested; price return measures only the change in the ETF's share price. The 0.74 percentage-point gap is the contribution from dividends so far this year.
2026 YTD daily chart#
Daily ACWI price since the final market close of 2025. Hover for the close, price YTD, total return YTD with dividends reinvested, and that day's price move.
- Total-return high
- +15.6% · Aug 13, 2026
- Total-return low
- -5.2% · Mar 30, 2026
- Max drawdown YTD
- -9.7%
- All-time-high closes
- 28 days
How 2026 compares with previous years#
Every year is measured through Sep 4 — the same calendar date as the current result — so the comparison is not skewed by full-year outcomes.
Years that looked like this one
The five closest starts to 2026's +15.2%, each traced through its full year — labels show how each finished. 2026's path so far is the bold line.
2023 (+15.2% then → finished +22.3%) · 2025 (+14.9% then → finished +22.4%) · 2019 (+14.7% then → finished +26.6%) · 2017 (+15.7% then → finished +24.3%) · 2021 (+16.9% then → finished +18.7%).
Every year's YTD return through the same date#
Ranked by total return through Sep 4, with each completed calendar year's final return alongside it.
Best starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +20.0% | +30.4% |
| 2021 | +16.9% | +18.7% |
| 2017 | +15.7% | +24.3% |
| 2023 | +15.2% | +22.3% |
| 2026 (now) | +15.2% | — |
Worst starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -18.9% | -18.4% |
| 2011 | -9.5% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | -6.5% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | -2.1% | +10.7% |
| 2018 | +2.9% | -9.1% |
| Rank | Year | YTD through this date | Full-year return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | +20.0% | +30.4% |
| 2 | 2021 | +16.9% | +18.7% |
| 3 | 2017 | +15.7% | +24.3% |
| 4 | 2023 | +15.2% | +22.3% |
| 5 | 2026 (now) | +15.2% | — |
| 6 | 2025 | +14.9% | +22.4% |
| 7 | 2019 | +14.7% | +26.6% |
| 8 | 2024 | +13.3% | +17.4% |
| 9 | 2013 | +9.6% | +22.4% |
| 10 | 2012 | +7.5% | +14.0% |
| 11 | 2016 | +7.5% | +8.4% |
| 12 | 2014 | +7.2% | +3.8% |
| 13 | 2020 | +3.1% | +16.3% |
| 14 | 2018 | +2.9% | -9.1% |
| 15 | 2010 | -2.1% | +10.7% |
| 16 | 2015 | -6.5% | -2.2% |
| 17 | 2011 | -9.5% | -9.9% |
| 18 | 2022 | -18.9% | -18.4% |
2026 monthly YTD chart#
Each bar is one calendar month's total return; the current month runs through Sep 4, 2026.
2026 YTD return by month#
Monthly total return and the compounded year-to-date result after each month.
| Month | Monthly return | Cumulative YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | +2.8% | +2.8% |
| Feb | +1.3% | +4.2% |
| Mar | -6.1% | -2.2% |
| Apr | +9.5% | +7.1% |
| May | +4.6% | +12.1% |
| Jun | -0.3% | +11.7% |
| Jul | -0.3% | +11.3% |
| Aug | +2.7% | +14.3% |
| Sep | +0.7% | +15.2% |
Notes & related#
Returns are computed from ACWI (the MSCI ACWI ETF): total return uses dividend-adjusted closes, price return uses split-adjusted closes only. “YTD through the same date” compares each year at the identical month-day, so early-year rankings aren't skewed by full-year outcomes. Data updates after each market close.
Keep going: MSCI ACWI returns by year, monthly returns, or the drawdown record.
More on MSCI ACWI
- Returns by year+15.2%
- Monthly returns+0.7%
- Weekly returns+0.5%
- Trailing returns+22.7%
- Drawdown from high−0.4%