ETF Versus

IWM vs SPLG

iShares Russell 2000 ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IWM

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. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2000-05-26
SPLG

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2009-01-02

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, IWM has significantly outperformed with a 23.1% return vs 16.2%.

Key Metrics

Metric IWM SPLG
Expense Ratio N/A N/A
Dividend Yield N/A N/A
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 91 112 133 154 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWM +10.9%
SPLG +61.4%

Performance Comparison

Period IWM SPLG Difference
1 Month -3.73% -3.66% -0.07%
3 Months +0.31% -4.07% +4.38%
6 Months +1.11% -2.39% +3.50%
YTD +0.31% -4.07% +4.38%
1 Year +23.14% +16.16% +6.98%
3 Years +39.83% +59.57% -19.74%
5 Years +10.93% +61.44% -50.51%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWM Fees SPLG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $0 $0 $0
$10,000 20 years $0 $0 $0
$10,000 30 years $0 $0 $0
$50,000 10 years $0 $0 $0
$50,000 30 years $0 $0 $0
$100,000 30 years $0 $0 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWM SPLG
Annualized Volatility 22.6% 16.8%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -25.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.39

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWM SPLG
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.54 $0.88
Dividend Yield 1.02% 1.15%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IWM if...

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

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