Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IWM vs QUAL: how they differ
IWM and QUAL hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IWM returned more over the year.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IWM and QUAL hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IWM | QUAL |
|---|---|---|
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY | 0.29% | 0.10% |
| USD CASH | 0.17% | 0.08% |
| Only in IWM | Only in QUAL |
|---|---|
| MOOG INC CLASS A 0.34% | MICROSOFT 7.67% |
| UMB FINANCIAL 0.34% | APPLE 7.10% |
| CYTOKINETICS 0.32% | NVIDIA 6.44% |
| GLAUKOS 0.32% | META PLATFORMS CLASS A 4.32% |
| JFROG 0.32% | ELI LILLY 3.62% |
| BRIGHTSPRING HEALTH SERVICES INC 0.31% | LAM RESEARCH 3.59% |
| BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC 0.31% | TJX 3.23% |
| FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS INC 0.31% | VISA CLASS A 3.21% |
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.
| IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Russell 2000 | MSCI USA Quality Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | +21.2% | +16.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +3.7 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 98.9% |
| Holdings | 1749 | 121 |
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 Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1749 positions, with the top ten at 3.2%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 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, IWM or QUAL?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWM returned +21.2% and QUAL returned +16.0%, so IWM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IWM or QUAL?
- IWM charges 0.19% a year and QUAL charges 0.15%, so QUAL is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IWM and QUAL overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IWM and 99% of QUAL by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% 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, IWM against QUAL, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-qual Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources