On April 4, 2023, Whittier Trust Co. announced that it had reduced its stake in shares of iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (NASDAQ:ACWX) by a staggering 25.4%. According to its recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the fund sold roughly 46,273 shares of the company’s stock during the fourth quarter of last year, leaving them with 135,652 shares altogether. Despite owning just 0.15% of iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF worth $6,172,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC, this sale comes as a surprise to many investors.
Bloomberg is keeping track of Wall Street’s top-rated and best-performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. While iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF wasn’t on their list, Bloomberg has identified five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on.
Although analysts have given iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF a “hold” rating at present, these top-rated experts seem to think that there are better buying options out there for their clients.
Despite this news, let’s take a closer look at what iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF really is.
The exchange-traded fund is based on the MSCI AC World ex USA index and tracks the performance of an international stock market-cap-weighted index – capturing around 85% of publicly available market movements but excluding small-caps from its tracking algorithm.
Managed by BlackRock since its launch on Mar 26, 2008, iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF may prove to be an intriguing investment prospect for those who follow successful funds over time — even if it’s not the stock of the moment, according to Wall Street’s top-rated analysts.
Several Large Investors Increase Holdings of iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF
As of April 4, 2023, several large investors have modified their holdings of the iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (NASDAQ: ACWX). Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. has lifted its position in shares of the company by 31.4% during the first quarter, bringing their ownership to 15,240 shares worth $797,000. Private Advisor Group LLC has also increased its holdings by 9.1%, owning 6,086 shares valued at $319,000 after adding 510 more shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake by 44.9%, owning 11,058 shares with a market value of $578,000 and Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC raised its holding by 7.0%, now owning 5,583 shares worth $257,000.
SVB Wealth LLC is another large investor that lifted their holdings in iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S ETF from the previous quarter by approximately 5.8%. They own an impressive market value of $20,758,000 with a total share count of 397,139.
As it stands today on Tuesday April 4th , iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S ETF’s NASDAQ shares sit at an opening price of $49.12 dollars each with a record high over the past year hitting $53.23 while maintaining continuous stability over time with their fifty-day and two-hundred day moving averages reported as $47.64 and $47.77 respectively – pointing towards strong investor interest in the stock.
While analysts currently hold a “hold” rating for iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S ETF among others; there are five other stocks that top-rated analysts believe to be better investments than this one.
These adjustments in shareholder equity highlight an evolving landscape within financial investments as we continue to work our way through economic challenges. We can continue to expect similar shifts as the stock market remains an area in which investors seek greater financial gains and diversification opportunities, indirectly positioning themselves as key investors for making executive decisions that grow companies.
