Which returned more over the last year, ESML or IWM?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ESML returned +17.7% and IWM +14.1%.

Which is cheaper, ESML or IWM?

ESML is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do ESML and IWM overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 12% of ESML and 0% of IWM by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

ESML vs IWM: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, ESML returned +17.7% to IWM's +14.1%; 36% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $2.7bn for iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF and $75.5bn for iShares Russell 2000 ETF.

ESML on its own →IWM on its own →

At a glance

+17.7%

ESML total return, 1 year

+14.1%

IWM total return, 1 year

0.17%

ESML expense ratio

0.19%

IWM expense ratio

Pair scorecard

ESML costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.6 points; IWM is far larger, $75.5bn against $2.7bn.

ESML vs IWM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	ESML	IWM
Return
Measure	ESML	IWM
Total return, 1 year	+17.7%	+14.1%
Drawdown
Measure	ESML	IWM
Below its high	5.3%, high on Aug 14, 2026	7.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	ESML	IWM
What it tracks	MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index	Russell 2000 Index
Cost and size
Measure	ESML	IWM
Expense ratio	0.17%	0.19%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$2.7bn	$75.5bn
Holdings
Measure	ESML	IWM
Holdings in common	36%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	5.2%	3.3%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Apr 20, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 444 weekly returns

ESML IWM

Return

Total return edge ESML +126.6% +97.0%

Annualized edge ESML +10.1% +8.3%

Price return edge ESML +104.3% +77.3%

Risk

Volatility edge ESML (slight) 22.8% 23.9%

Max drawdown edge Tie −40.6% −40.2%

Downside capture 104.1% 100.5%

Beta 1.11 1.01

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge ESML 0.41 0.34

Sortino edge ESML 0.59 0.48

Treynor 0.085 0.106

Calmar edge ESML 0.25 0.21

Against the benchmark

Alpha −4.4% a year −0.1% a year

Alpha t-stat −1.14 −0.36

Information ratio −0.27 −0.02

Tracking error 11.3% 1.0%

Each against its own benchmark: ESML against PBUS, Apr 20, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026; IWM against VTWO, Oct 1, 2010 to Oct 23, 2026.

Reading

ESML returned more: +126.6% to +97.0%. ESML swung slightly less: 22.8% to 23.9%. ESML and IWM fell about the same at their worst: −40.6% and −40.2%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: ESML vs IWM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	ESML	IWM	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+126.6%	+97.0%	ESML	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+10.1%	+8.3%	ESML	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+104.3%	+77.3%	ESML	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	22.8%	23.9%	ESML (slight)	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	16.0%	16.7%	ESML (slight)	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−40.6%	−40.2%	Tie	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture	97.1%	101.0%		Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture	104.1%	100.5%		Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta	1.11	1.01	Not an edge	How far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared	0.76	1.00	Not an edge	Share of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.41	0.34	ESML	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.59	0.48	ESML	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor	0.085	0.106		Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar	0.25	0.21	ESML	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
Benchmark	PBUS	VTWO		The ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha	−4.4% a year	−0.1% a year	Not significant	Yearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat	−1.14	−0.36	Not an edge	How sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range	−11.9% to +3.2%	−0.6% to +0.4%	Includes zero	The 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio	−0.27	−0.02		Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error	11.3%	1.0%	Not an edge	How far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 444 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

36%

By the books each fund has filed, ESML and IWM hold 36% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

36% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first ESML IWM

ZURN ELKAY WATER SOLUTIONS CORP 0.32% 0.25%

GLAUKOS 0.23% 0.35%

SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS 0.34% 0.23%

TXNM ENERGY INC 0.32% 0.22%

UNITED BANKSHARES 0.32% 0.22%

COMMVAULT SYSTEMS 0.20% 0.24%

CYTOKINETICS 0.20% 0.28%

INTERDIGITAL INC 0.20% 0.29%

RYMAN HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES REIT 0.20% 0.30%

ACI WORLDWIDE 0.21% 0.19%

MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC 0.19% 0.19%

MOOG INC CLASS A 0.19% 0.34%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in ESML

MODERNA 1.13%

ASSURANT INC 0.66%

US FOODS HOLDING 0.58%

OVINTIV 0.51%

REVVITY 0.39%

DYNATRACE INC 0.38%

GUARDANT HEALTH 0.38%

EQUITABLE HOLDINGS 0.36%

Only in IWM

QUALYS 0.27%

FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS INC 0.25%

ZETA GLOBAL HOLDINGS CLASS A 0.25%

BLACK HILLS CORP 0.21%

LIGAND PHARMACEUTICALS 0.21%

MAGNOLIA OIL GAS CORP CLASS A 0.21%

SSR MINING 0.21%

TRANSOCEAN 0.21%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

ESML iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index Tracks the Russell 2000

Total return, 1 year +17.7% +14.1%

Its benchmark over the same days +13.3% (PBUS) +14.3% (VTWO)

Gap to its benchmark +4.4 pts vs PBUS −0.2 pts vs VTWO

Expense ratio 0.17% 0.19%

Already in the S&P 500 12.3% 0.0%

Holdings 903 1977

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $2.7bn $75.5bn

ESML and IWM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-19B27BED45

ESML and IWM are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

What each follows. ESML follows MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index and IWM follows Russell 2000 Index.
Holdings in common. 36% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 ESML returned +17.7% and IWM +14.1% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.6 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

ESML

ESML tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.17% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 12% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 903 positions, with the top ten at 5.2%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

IWM

IWM tracks the Russell 2000. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,977 positions, with the top ten at 3.3%. It sat 7.6% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, ESML or IWM?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ESML returned +17.7% and IWM +14.1%.
Which is cheaper, ESML or IWM?: ESML is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do ESML and IWM overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 12% of ESML and 0% of IWM by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

ESML vs IJR ESML vs SPSM ESML vs IJT ESML vs VB IWM vs SMLF IWM vs SLYG FYC vs IWM IWM vs NUSC

Where to next

ESML on its own →IWM on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →ESML dividend history →ESML holdings →IWM dividend history →IWM holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

ESML and IWM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

ESML prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for ESML ↗

IWM prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IWM ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, ESML against IWM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-iwm

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.