Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IWM vs VWO: how they differ
IWM and VWO hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IWM returned more over the year.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF and Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IWM and VWO hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IWM | Only in VWO |
|---|---|
| MOOG INC CLASS A 0.34% | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Lt 14.73% |
| UMB FINANCIAL 0.34% | Tencent Holdings Ltd 3.28% |
| CYTOKINETICS 0.32% | Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 2.57% |
| GLAUKOS 0.32% | Delta Electronics Inc 1.18% |
| JFROG 0.32% | MediaTek Inc 1.07% |
| BRIGHTSPRING HEALTH SERVICES INC 0.31% | Reliance Industries Ltd 0.90% |
| BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC 0.31% | HDFC Bank Ltd 0.81% |
| FIRSTCASH HOLDINGS INC 0.31% | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd 0.75% |
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 Apr 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | VWO Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Russell 2000 | Emerging markets |
| Total return, 1 year | +21.2% | +15.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +3.7 pts | −1.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.06% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 1749 | 6355 |
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.
VWO in plain words
VWO is an index equity fund tracking the Emerging markets. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +15.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 6355 positions, with the top ten at 26.8%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IWM or VWO?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWM returned +21.2% and VWO returned +15.6%, so IWM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IWM or VWO?
- IWM charges 0.19% a year and VWO charges 0.06%, so VWO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IWM and VWO overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IWM and 0% of VWO 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 VWO, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-vwo Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources