iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF
ESGU ThematicUpdated: Jul 4, 2026, 21:17 UTC
Key Metrics
Top 10 Holdings
| Holding | Ticker | Weight | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp | NVDA | 7.49% | |
| Apple Inc | AAPL | 6.91% | |
| Microsoft Corp | MSFT | 4.89% | |
| Amazon.com Inc | AMZN | 3.94% | |
| Alphabet Inc Class C | GOOG | 3.74% | |
| Broadcom Inc | AVGO | 3.1% | |
| Alphabet Inc Class A | GOOGL | 2.29% | |
| Meta Platforms Inc Class A | META | 1.99% | |
| Tesla Inc | TSLA | 1.87% | |
| Micron Technology Inc | MU | 1.65% |
Sector Allocation
About This ETF
The iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) is a Thematic ETF with an expense ratio (TER) of 0.15% and $17.6B in assets under management., with its largest holdings being NVIDIA Corp, Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp. The ETF currently yields 0.92% in dividends. Year-to-date, ESGU has returned +10.04%.
The fund generally will invest at least 90% of its assets in the component securities of the underlying index and may invest up to 10% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents. The underlying index is an optimized equity index designed to reflect the equity performance of U.S. companies that have favorable environmental, social and governance ("ESG") characteristics, while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those of the MSCI USA Index (the "parent index").
FAQ — ESGU
What is the TER of ESGU (iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF)?
ESGU has a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.15 % per year. That sits below the thematic category median (0.68 % across 15 peer ETFs). The TER is deducted directly from the fund and lowers your effective return.
What return has ESGU delivered?
Performance for ESGU: YTD: +10.04 % · 3-year p.a.: +20.13 % · 5-year p.a.: +11.83 %. Over 5 years, ESGU outperforms the thematic category median of +1.69 % by +10.14 pp. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.
What are the top holdings of ESGU?
The five largest positions in ESGU are: NVDA, AAPL, MSFT, AMZN, GOOG. The full holdings list is updated daily on this page.
Does ESGU pay dividends?
ESGU has a current dividend yield of 0.92 %. Distributing ETFs pay this out in cash; accumulating versions reinvest it inside the fund. Check the share class on your broker before buying.
Where can I buy or set up a savings plan for ESGU?
ESGU is available at most major brokers. For a free monthly savings plan from €1, look at Trade Republic, Scalable Capital or Flatex. The broker comparison on this site shows fees, free-savings-plan ETFs and execution exchanges side by side.
What is the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF?
The iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) holds an optimized portfolio of large U.S. companies screened on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. It aims to deliver risk and return characteristics similar to the broad MSCI USA Index while reflecting a more sustainable profile. With roughly $16.6B in assets and a 0.15% expense ratio, it is one of the largest ESG building blocks for U.S. equity exposure and targets values-oriented investors seeking a low-cost core holding.
Performance and Drivers
ESGU tracks closely to the broad U.S. market. Year-to-date it returned 10.71%, with a 22.44% three-year and 12.74% five-year figure (annualized per provider data). The price sits at $164.75, near its 52-week high of $164.85 and well above the low of $127.64. The main driver is heavy weighting in technology (36.52%) and mega-cap names such as NVIDIA (7.75%), Apple (6.27%) and Alphabet. The dividend yield is around 0.97%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Risk Profile
Despite spanning eleven sectors, ESGU is heavily concentrated in mega-cap technology: the technology sector alone is 36.52%, and the top ten positions represent a meaningful share. A setback in a few heavyweights like NVIDIA or Apple can disproportionately drag on the price.
- Currency risk: The fund trades in USD. For euro-area investors, EUR/USD exchange-rate swings can erode or amplify returns.
- ESG tracking deviation: The ESG screen causes the holdings to diverge from the MSCI USA parent index, which can produce performance differences.
- Market risk: As a pure equity fund, it is fully exposed to market drawdowns.
Who Is This ETF For?
ESGU suits long-term investors with a horizon of at least five to ten years who want broad U.S. equity exposure with an ESG screen. It can serve as a core building block of a sustainability-minded portfolio, since it mirrors many MSCI USA characteristics and is inexpensive at 0.15%.
It is less appropriate for investors seeking strict sustainability without heavy technology weighting, for very short-term traders, or for those unwilling to bear USD currency risk. Anyone needing global diversification should pair it with funds covering Europe and emerging markets. This is not investment advice.
How It Compares to Peer ETFs
Within broad U.S. ESG equity funds, ESGU competes with several established products:
- Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV): covers a wider market range including smaller caps and is often even cheaper.
- iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA): uses a more concentrated best-in-class approach with fewer holdings.
- iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF (ESML): complements ESGU in the smaller-company segment.
ESGU positions itself as a low-cost, large-cap middle ground that stays close to the broad market.
Where can I buy ESGU?
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