Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IWF vs QUAL: how they differ
IWF and QUAL hold 42% of their weight in the same names, and QUAL returned more over the year.
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IWF and QUAL hold 42% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IWF | QUAL |
|---|---|---|
| APPLE | 7.77% | 7.10% |
| NVIDIA | 15.46% | 6.44% |
| MICROSOFT | 5.55% | 7.67% |
| META PLATFORMS CLASS A | 3.52% | 4.32% |
| ELI LILLY | 2.72% | 3.62% |
| ALPHABET CLASS A | 5.88% | 1.94% |
| VISA CLASS A | 1.84% | 3.21% |
| ALPHABET CLASS C | 4.77% | 1.53% |
| MASTERCARD CLASS A | 1.39% | 2.28% |
| LAM RESEARCH | 1.13% | 3.59% |
| APPLIED MATERIAL INC | 1.09% | 2.81% |
| NETFLIX | 0.97% | 1.84% |
| Only in IWF | Only in QUAL |
|---|---|
| BROADCOM INC 5.10% | EXXONMOBIL HOLDINGS CORP 2.35% |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY 3.35% | JOHNSON & JOHNSON 2.17% |
| TESLA INC 3.22% | BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC CLASS B 1.85% |
| ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES 2.49% | MERCK & CO INC 1.40% |
| PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES CLASS A 1.12% | LINDE PLC 0.99% |
| CATERPILLAR INC 1.11% | GARMIN 0.85% |
| GE AEROSPACE 1.02% | PROCTER & GAMBLE 0.82% |
| PALO ALTO NETWORKS 0.83% | PROLOGIS REIT 0.79% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| IWF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Russell 1000 growth | MSCI USA Quality Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | +7.0% | +16.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −10.5 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 93.6% | 98.9% |
| Holdings | 315 | 121 |
IWF in plain words
IWF is an index equity fund tracking the Russell 1000 growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +7.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 315 positions, with the top ten at 57.3%. It sat 5.0% below its high of Jun 1, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
QUAL in plain words
QUAL is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Quality Factor. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 99% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 121 positions, with the top ten at 44.4%. It sat 3.1% below its high of Aug 13, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IWF or QUAL?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWF returned +7.0% and QUAL returned +16.0%, so QUAL returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IWF or QUAL?
- IWF charges 0.18% a year and QUAL charges 0.15%, so QUAL is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IWF and QUAL overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 94% of IWF and 99% of QUAL by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 42% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, IWF against QUAL, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwf-vs-qual Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources