We recently published a list of 9 Best International Index Funds to Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where IShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (NASDAQ:ESGD) stands against other best international index funds to invest in.

Undoubtedly, the US plays host to the largest equity market in the world as home to the largest stock exchanges. Likewise, it is home to the largest companies in the world by market capitalization. Therefore, investors often turn to the US, given the high liquidity always in play when seeking exposure to some of the biggest and emerging market segments.

Over the years, US indices have provided broad exposure to various sectors, from financial services to healthcare, technology, industrials, and even consumer cyclical. However, amid the escalating tariff and trade war pitting the US and its allies or other economies, sentiments in the equity markets are increasingly shifting.

Major US equities and indices have pulled back significantly from record highs after President Donald Trump imposed significant trade tariffs on Canada, China, the EU, and other nations. In the year’s first quarter, the US S&P 500 was down by about 6% as the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 slid more than 8.1%. The slump came as investors became net sellers concerned by the impact of the trade war waged by the Trump administration.

In contrast, European equities were on a roll, with the EURO STOXX 50 index tracking the 50 largest blue chip stocks in the trading block, soaring 11%. The rally in European equities underscores how the focus is increasingly shifting away from US equities to other markets.

“The first months of 2025 have shown increased investor focus on international investing, with developed markets strongly outperforming their U.S. counterparts,” says Arne Noack, regional investment head of Xtrackers, Americas, at DWS Group.

This superior performance has been fueled by a shift towards international equities, primarily linked to the Trump administration’s growing isolationist stance. A mix of diminished backing for Ukraine and tariffs imposed on crucial trading allies such as Canada has led to a reevaluation of the stability of the U.S. market, which has long been a fundamental aspect of investor trust.

In addition to policy issues, valuations have also influenced this trend. For many years, U.S. stocks have been priced at considerably higher forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios than their international counterparts. Now, as those multiples shrink, investors are rethinking their investment strategies.

Likewise, the best international index funds offer a way out of the turmoil in the US equity markets as they offer broad market exposure to some of the biggest companies at some of the lowest costs.

“Adding international stocks to your portfolio can dampen volatility and improve returns, since the U.S. economy and market may face challenges at different times compared to international regions,” says Scott Klimo, chief investment officer at Saturna Capital. “Mitigating currency risk also plays a role, as the U.S. dollar may strengthen or weaken versus other countries at different times.”

Our Methodology

To make the list of 9 Best International Index Funds to Invest In, we scanned the global equity markets. We then settled on the best funds based on a number of factors including market index cost (expense ratio) and long-term performance. Finally, we ranked the index funds in ascending order based on the fund’s expense ratio.

At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points  (see more details here).

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IShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (NASDAQ:ESGD)

5-Year Total Return: 11.61%

Expense Ratio: 0.21%

IShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (NASDAQ:ESGD) is an international index fund that tracks the results of an index composed of mid and large-cap companies in various sectors, excluding US and Canadian companies. Additionally, it is an index fund that targets investors looking to invest in companies that adhere to positive environmental, social, and governance principles of ESG.

Consequently, it is an ideal index fund for investors eyeing ESG investments in Europe, Australia, and Asia. Financial services stocks account for the biggest share of the Index, holding at 23.52%, with Industrials coming second at 16.70%. Healthcare and Technology stocks account for 11.33% and 10.34% of holdings, respectively. Over the past 12 months, the fund has generated an average yield of 3.02% with a low expense ratio of 0.210%. IShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (NASDAQ:ESGD) five-year average return is 11.61%.

Overall, ESGD ranks 5th on our list of best international index funds to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of ESGD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ESGD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.