Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IWM vs VBR: how they differ
IWM and VBR hold 25% of their weight in the same names, and IWM returned more over the year.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IWM and VBR hold 25% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IWM | VBR |
|---|---|---|
| Moog, Inc. | 0.38% | 0.26% |
| Viasat, Inc. | 0.35% | 0.25% |
| UMB Financial Corp. | 0.33% | 0.21% |
| Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. | 0.26% | 0.20% |
| Compass, Inc. | 0.28% | 0.20% |
| Old National Bancorp | 0.28% | 0.19% |
| EnerSys | 0.27% | 0.18% |
| FirstCash Holdings, Inc. | 0.28% | 0.17% |
| Plexus Corp. | 0.25% | 0.17% |
| Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corp. | 0.24% | 0.17% |
| Enpro, Inc. | 0.25% | 0.17% |
| Terex Corp. | 0.26% | 0.17% |
| Only in IWM | Only in VBR |
|---|---|
| Hut 8 Corp. 0.37% | Jabil Inc 0.87% |
| BrightSpring Health Services, Inc. 0.35% | NRG Energy Inc 0.66% |
| Cytokinetics, Inc. 0.35% | Tapestry Inc 0.64% |
| MaxLinear, Inc. 0.34% | Atmos Energy Corp 0.62% |
| Argan, Inc. 0.34% | Williams-Sonoma Inc 0.59% |
| JFrog Ltd. 0.31% | Moderna Inc 0.54% |
| Riot Platforms, Inc. 0.30% | Smurfit Westrock PLC 0.52% |
| Krystal Biotech, Inc. 0.30% | F5 Inc 0.50% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.
| IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Russell 2000 | Small-Cap Value |
| Total return, 1 year | +21.2% | +16.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +3.7 pts | −1.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.05% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 30.5% |
| Holdings | 2014 | 840 |
IWM in plain words
IWM is an index equity fund tracking the Russell 2000. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +21.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2014 positions, with the top ten at 3.4%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
VBR in plain words
VBR is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 840 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IWM or VBR?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWM returned +21.2% and VBR returned +16.3%, so IWM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IWM or VBR?
- IWM charges 0.19% a year and VBR charges 0.05%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IWM and VBR overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IWM and 30% of VBR by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 25% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, IWM against VBR, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IWM-VBR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources