Level 0 Investing & ETF Basics · Part 4/16
ETF Names Decoded: What Each Part Means
An ETF name looks cryptic, but every part carries information. An example from the ETF list:
iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF USD (Acc)
- iShares: the provider (BlackRock).
- Core: the provider’s low-cost flagship line.
- MSCI World: the index the fund tracks.
- UCITS: the EU regulatory framework for retail funds (investor protection).
- USD: the fund currency; currency risk comes from the currencies of the underlying stocks, not from this part of the name.
- (Acc): accumulating; (Dist) would mean distributing. See distributing vs accumulating.
Every fund page on Alysly lists TER, holdings and domicile alongside the name in the key facts.
More Name Components
| Component | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1C / 1D | At Xtrackers: accumulating (C for capitalisation) or distributing (D for distribution). |
| Accumulating / Distributing | The same distinction at Vanguard, spelled out. |
| Swap | The fund tracks the index synthetically through a swap with a bank instead of holding all the stocks itself. |
| EUR Hedged | The share class hedges currency moves against the euro, which comes with hedging costs. |
| IMI | Investable Market Index: small companies are included alongside large and mid-sized ones. |
| ESG, SRI | Sustainability variants that exclude or reweight companies by fixed criteria. SRI variants usually exclude more. |
| Equal Weight | All stocks carry the same weight instead of being weighted by market value. |
What the Name Does Not Say
- Fund domicile: the first two letters of the ISIN show the country, such as IE for Ireland or LU for Luxembourg. Domicile affects how much withholding tax on dividends arises inside the fund.
- Costs and size: the TER and fund size are in the key data on each fund page, not in the name.
- Several share classes: the same fund can exist in versions with a different currency, income treatment or hedging. Each version has its own ISIN.
A Second Example
Xtrackers MSCI World Information Technology UCITS ETF 1C breaks down the same way. Xtrackers is DWS’s ETF brand, and MSCI World Information Technology is the sector index for technology companies from developed markets. UCITS is the EU framework, and 1C is the accumulating share class. The name alone shows that the fund covers a single sector and reinvests its income.
Information only, not investment advice.