What is the expense ratio of IWM vs SGOV?

IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19%, while SGOV has an expense ratio of 0.09%.

IWM vs SGOV

iShares Russell 2000 ETF vs iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-08

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.19%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.00%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $71.9B ER: 0.19% Yield: 1.00% Since: May 22, 2000

SGOV

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.95%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $85.4B ER: 0.09% Yield: 3.95% Since: May 26, 2020

Quick Verdict

SGOV is significantly cheaper at 0.09% vs 0.19% expense ratio, saving you approximately $198 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IWM has significantly outperformed with a 44.4% return vs 0.0%. Income investors may prefer SGOV for its higher yield (4.0% vs 1.0%).

Key Metrics

Metric	IWM	SGOV
Expense Ratio	0.19%	0.09%
Dividend Yield	1.0%	4.0%
Fund Family	N/A	N/A
Category	US Small Cap	US Short-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

IWM +13.4%

SGOV +0.4%

Performance Comparison

Period	IWM	SGOV	Difference
1 Month	-0.50%	-0.02%	-0.48%
3 Months	-2.29%	-0.01%	-2.28%
6 Months	+6.13%	-0.07%	+6.20%
YTD	+1.44%	+0.03%	+1.41%
1 Year	+44.35%	+0.02%	+44.33%
3 Years	+43.59%	+0.11%	+43.48%
5 Years	+13.37%	+0.42%	+12.95%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	IWM Fees	SGOV Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$377	$179	$198
$10,000	20 years	$1,613	$771	$842
$10,000	30 years	$5,178	$2,486	$2,692
$50,000	10 years	$1,884	$896	$988
$50,000	30 years	$25,888	$12,428	$13,460
$100,000	30 years	$51,776	$24,855	$26,921

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	IWM	SGOV
Annualized Volatility	22.6%	1.1%
Max Drawdown	-33.1%	-0.7%
Sharpe Ratio	0.03	-4.12

Dividend Comparison

Metric	IWM	SGOV
Annual Dividend (per share)	$2.54	$3.97
Dividend Yield	1.01%	3.95%
Distribution Frequency	Quarterly	Monthly

Top Holdings

IWM Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Bloom Energy CorporationBE	0.99%
FabrinetFN	0.67%
COEUR MINING INCCDE.NE	0.63%
EchoStar CorporationSATS	0.57%
Credo Technology Group Holding LtdCRDO	0.55%
Nextpower Inc.NXT	0.53%
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.KTOS	0.45%
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.AEIS	0.42%
Hecla Mining CompanyHL	0.41%
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.STRL	0.39%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SGOV if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IWM if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SGOV if...

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

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