ETF Evaluator:
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Small Blend Over the Last Year
| 71.4% | Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF (QQQS) |
| 58.3% | iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) |
| 52.2% | Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap Core ETF (FESM) |
| 50.0% | Invesco Dorsey Wright SmallCap Momt ETF (DWAS) |
| 49.9% | First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX® ETF (FYX) |
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ETF Details
iShares Russell 2000 ETF Overview
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Small Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). iShares launched the ETF in 2000.
The investment seeks to track the investment results of the Russell 2000® Index, which measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The fund generally invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index (i.e., depositary receipts representing securities of the underlying index) and may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents.
About iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM)
There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.42 years: Jennifer Hsui (2012), Peter Sietsema (2025), Matt Waldron (2025) and Steven White (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: Russell 3000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Russell 2000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has 2007 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 3.4% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has 2.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 97.4% There is 2.4% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). iShares Russell 2000 ETF has 0.3% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $82 billion in total assets, which is above the $5 billion average for the Small Blend category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
IWM Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Small Blend category. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has an expense ratio of 0.19%, which is 55% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 18%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 50% for the Small Blend category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, iShares Russell 2000 ETF returned 3.7%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Small Blend category had an average return of 5.8%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a trailing yield of 0.88%, which is below the 1.19% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 22.5%, 1.9 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 40.6% over the past year (grade of A), 18.4% over the past three years (grade of B) and 6.9% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 11.5% per year over the past 10 years (grade of D).
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IWM Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| IWM Return (NAV) | 3.7% | 21.4% | 40.6% | 18.4% | 6.9% | 11.5% |
| IWM Return (Price) | 3.7% | 21.4% | 40.7% | 18.5% | 6.9% | 11.5% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.013% | 0.007% | -0.086% | -0.021% | -0.016% | -0.002% |
| Small Blend Avg | 5.8% | 18.9% | 32.8% | 16.6% | 8.1% | 11.7% |
| IWM Grade (NAV) | F | B | A | B | D | D |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -2.1% | 2.6% | 7.8% | 1.8% | -1.2% | -0.1% |
| IWM Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
IWM Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| IWM Return (NAV) | 22.5% | 12.7% | 11.4% | 16.8% | -20.5% | 14.6% | 19.9% | 25.4% | -11.0% | 14.7% | 21.4% |
| IWM Return (Price) | 22.6% | 12.7% | 11.4% | 16.8% | -20.5% | 14.5% | 20.0% | 25.4% | -11.1% | 14.6% | 21.6% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.003% | -0.003% | 0.003% | 0.002% | -0.000% | -0.006% | 0.007% | -0.1% | 0.8% | -0.5% | 1.1% |
| Small Blend Avg | 20.6% | 8.7% | 11.7% | 16.3% | -15.9% | 24.0% | 12.7% | 24.8% | -9.2% | 14.4% | 19.6% |
| IWM Grade (NAV) | C | A | C | D | F | F | A | C | D | B | D |
| +/- Category | 1.9% | 4.0% | -0.4% | 0.5% | -4.6% | -9.4% | 7.2% | 0.6% | -1.8% | 0.3% | 1.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.26 |
| R-Squared: | 68% |
| Standard Deviation: | 20.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.09 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.64 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.9% |
| Total Assets: | $ 82,970 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 82,970 Mil |
| Turnover: | 18.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.19% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | Russell 3000 TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 4 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 13.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Hsui Jennifer (2012), Sietsema Peter (2025), Waldron Matt (2025), White Steven (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 2007 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 3.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 97.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 2.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.3% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | iShares |
| Phone Number: | 800-474-2737 |
| Website: | au.ishares.com |
| Inception Date: | May 22, 2000 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.19% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.42% |
