ETF Versus

IWM vs XLK

iShares Russell 2000 ETF vs State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-08

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. 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
XLK

State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.56%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $86.3B ER: 0.08% Yield: 0.56% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

XLK is significantly cheaper at 0.08% vs 0.19% expense ratio, saving you approximately $217 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, XLK has significantly outperformed with a 52.2% return vs 44.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric IWM XLK
Expense Ratio 0.19% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 1.0% 0.6%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap US Sector - Technology

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 100 130 160 190 220 2021-04 2022-07 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWM +13.4%
XLK +94.8%

Performance Comparison

Period IWM XLK Difference
1 Month -0.50% -2.13% +1.63%
3 Months -2.29% -5.17% +2.88%
6 Months +6.13% -1.73% +7.86%
YTD +1.44% -5.21% +6.65%
1 Year +44.35% +52.21% -7.86%
3 Years +43.59% +83.61% -40.02%
5 Years +13.37% +92.96% -79.59%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWM Fees XLK Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $377 $159 $217
$10,000 20 years $1,613 $686 $927
$10,000 30 years $5,178 $2,212 $2,965
$50,000 10 years $1,884 $797 $1,087
$50,000 30 years $25,888 $11,061 $14,826
$100,000 30 years $51,776 $22,123 $29,653

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWM XLK
Annualized Volatility 22.6% 24.7%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -34.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.03 0.48

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWM XLK
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.54 $0.77
Dividend Yield 1.01% 0.56%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IWM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.99%
FabrinetFN0.67%
COEUR MINING INCCDE.NE0.63%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.57%
Credo Technology Group Holding LtdCRDO0.55%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.53%
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.KTOS0.45%
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.AEIS0.42%
Hecla Mining CompanyHL0.41%
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.STRL0.39%

XLK Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA15.35%
Apple Inc.AAPL13.51%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.84%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO5.30%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU3.68%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD3.11%
Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR2.93%
Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO2.75%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT2.42%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX2.39%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLK if...

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

Choose XLK if...

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

Choose IWM if...

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

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