Wealth Manager Bets Big on International ETF

On Feb. 4, 2026, Financial Council, LLC disclosed a buy of 159,189 shares of iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX 0.31%), an estimated $10.55 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.

What happened

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing dated Feb. 4, 2026, Financial Council, LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX 0.31%) by 159,189 shares during the fourth quarter of 2025. The estimated value of the buy was $10.55 million, based on the quarterly average price. The quarter-end value of the position increased by $10.80 million, reflecting both new purchases and changes in share price.

What else to know

• Following the buy, ACWX accounts for 5.65% of Financial Council, LLC’s reportable assets under management
• Fund’s top five holdings after the filing:
  • NYSEMKT:CGGO: $51.40 million (20.5% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT:CGGR: $20.43 million (8.2% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:IUSG: $14.44 million (5.8% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:AAPL: $12.89 million (5.1% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT:SPYV: $12.85 million (5.1% of AUM)
• As of Feb. 4, 2026, shares were priced at $71.20, down 1.6% from the 52-week high
• One-year total return for ACWX is 35.4%, outperforming the S&P 500 by 21.4 percentage points over the same period
• Dividend yield stands at 2.7% as of Feb. 5, 2026

ETF overview

ETF snapshot

• Investment strategy seeks to track the performance of the MSCI ACWI ex U.S. Index, providing broad exposure to developed and emerging markets outside the United States.
• Portfolio is diversified across international equities, with holdings spanning multiple sectors and regions, reflecting the composition of the underlying index.
• Structured as an exchange-traded fund.

The iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF offers investors access to a globally diversified portfolio of non-U.S. equities, capturing both developed and emerging markets. The fund’s strategy leverages a market capitalization-weighted index methodology to mirror the performance of international equity markets while excluding U.S. exposure. With significant assets under management and a competitive dividend yield, the ETF is positioned as a core international equity holding for institutional portfolios seeking broad diversification and efficient market access.

What this transaction means for investors

This is a sizable purchase for Financial Council, adding some $10 million to its position in ACWX and making the ETF a top-five holding in the entire portfolio.

It really reflects a larger trend in the market as investors look for better value and growth opportunities outside the U.S., where many large-cap stocks are overvalued.

Over the past year, ACWX blew away the S&P 500, returning about 30%. The S&P 500 has gained roughly 11% over the past 12 months, as of Feb. 19.

This all-world ETF is a great diversifier, tracking more than 1,700 large- and mid-cap stocks from both developed countries and emerging markets. The largest holdings are Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM 0.56%), Samsung, and ASML (ASML 0.82%),

The ETF is already up 8% year-to-date, offsetting the flat returns for the S&P 500 so far this year. With international and emerging markets expected to perform relatively well versus U.S. stocks again this year, this looks like a good buy and an excellent diversifier.