The Xtrackers MSCI All World ex US Hedged Equity Fund (DBAW) offers broad exposure to global equities outside of the U.S., but includes derivatives that hedge out the currency exposure that an investment in international equities brings. This delivers isolated exposure to the performance of the underlying equities in local prices. Currency fluctuations can be a significant driver of gains and losses, and some investors may prefer the potential diversification benefit of exposure to non-U.S. dollar investments.
The Xtrackers MSCI All World ex US Hedged Equity Fund (DBAW) offers broad exposure to global equities outside of the U.S., but includes derivatives that hedge out the currency exposure that an investment in international equities brings. This delivers isolated exposure to the performance of the underlying equities in local prices. Currency fluctuations can be a significant driver of gains and losses, and some investors may prefer the potential diversification benefit of exposure to non-U.S. dollar investments.
DBAW offers similar exposure as the unhedged iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS), but the currency hedges means the performance of the two will be substantially different. Investors who expect the U.S. dollar to appreciate relative to other currencies might prefer this fund as a way to bet on the performance of international stocks; DBAW should outperform IXUS when the U.S. currency strengthens. Those expecting the dollar to lose value relative to other currencies will probably prefer to leave currency exposure unhedged, utilizing a fund such as IXUS instead. Those investors without a strong view in either direction might use a mix of both hedged and unhedged equity ETFs (e.g., 50% DBAW and 50% IXUS).
The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI ACWI ex-U.S. ETF (HAWX) is similar to DBAW, though DBAW has more assets. For cost-conscious investors who want plain-vanilla global stock exposure, IXUS and the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF (VEU) offer more liquidity at a fraction of the price.