ETF Versus

IJR vs VWO

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
VWO Vanguard

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (VWO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.76%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $107.3B ER: 0.06% Yield: 2.76% Since: Mar 4, 2005

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (19.2% vs 19.4%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer VWO for its higher yield (2.8% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VWO
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 2.8%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Small Cap Emerging Markets

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 76 87 98 109 120 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
VWO +3.0%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VWO Difference
1 Month -4.33% -5.29% +0.96%
3 Months +2.92% -1.31% +4.23%
6 Months +4.03% -1.06% +5.09%
YTD +2.92% -1.31% +4.23%
1 Year +19.20% +19.38% -0.18%
3 Years +29.06% +33.62% -4.56%
5 Years +12.98% +3.00% +9.98%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VWO Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $120 $0
$10.000 20 years $515 $515 $0
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $1.664 $0
$50.000 10 years $598 $598 $0
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $8.318 $0
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $16.637 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VWO
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 17.3%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -35.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 -0.14

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VWO
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $1.45
Dividend Yield 1.28% 2.68%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 8 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

VWO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233012.71%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.44%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99882.74%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.93%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.88%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.78%
MediaTek Inc.!tpe/24540.76%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.75%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VWO if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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