BlackRock lists the distribution class of the iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF (ISIN: IE000ZDDJWZ5) on the London Stock Exchange

The ISIN is IE000ZDDJWZ5 and the Total Expense Ratio is 0.15% per annum. The ETF is domiciled in Ireland and is managed by BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited.

The product is a fund class that passively tracks the MSCI World ex-USA Index. The objective is to achieve a total return, comprising the sum of capital gains and income, that reflects the performance of the benchmark index. The replication is physical: the portfolio directly holds the equities that make up the index, in the same proportions. The fund may use financial derivatives for investment purposes and may lend out a portion of the securities in the portfolio to generate additional income, with the aim of reducing the fund’s costs.

The MSCI World ex-US Index covers 22 of the 23 developed markets, excluding the United States, and includes approximately 773 large- and mid-cap companies, selected on the basis of MSCI’s size, liquidity and free float criteria. Weighting is based on free-float-adjusted market capitalisation. Rebalancing takes place on a quarterly basis.

As at 30 April 2026, the index had a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.20, a dividend yield of 2.66% and a total market capitalisation of $24,460 billion. The top ten constituents included ASML (2.28%), HSBC (1.29%), AstraZeneca (1.20%), Roche (1.17%), Novartis (1.15%), Nestlé (1.06%), Shell (1.05%), Royal Bank of Canada (1.03%), Siemens (0.92%) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (0.85%).

The MSCI World ex-USA recorded a positive performance in the first four months of 2026. As at 17 April, the net total return index stood at +8.45% year-to-date. Over a one-year horizon, the rise was 34.82%, whilst the three-year annualised return stood at 16.93%. In January, the index had risen by 4.7%, buoyed by the strength of emerging markets and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the weakness of the US dollar. In the first quarter, however, the picture became more mixed: the MSCI World Ex USA IMI closed the period down 0.9%, following a March affected by escalating geopolitical tensions linked to Iran and the resulting energy shock.

BlackRock had already listed the accumulation sub-fund of this ETF (ISIN: IE000R4ZNTN3) on the London Stock Exchange. The current listing of the distribution class therefore represents an extension of the range, allowing investors to choose between accumulation and distribution of income.

The strategy responds to growing interest in exposure to developed markets outside the United States. In recent years, inflows into global ex-US equity products have increased, as many investors seek to reduce the geographical concentration of their portfolios, which are traditionally skewed towards the US market. The MSCI World ex-USA Index, with its broad diversification across Europe, Japan, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region, is one of the most widely used instruments for this type of allocation.

With this listing, BlackRock is expanding its range of global equity ETFs on the London market. The iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF (USD Distributing) will be tradable during the London Stock Exchange’s regular trading hours.