IJK vs. MDYG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF (IJK) and SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF (MDYG).

IJK and MDYG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IJK is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P MidCap 400/Citigroup Growth Index. It was launched on Jul 24, 2000. MDYG is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index. It was launched on Nov 8, 2005. Both IJK and MDYG are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

IJK vs. MDYG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF (IJK) and SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF (MDYG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IJK vs. MDYG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IJK iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF	5.12%	7.28%	15.68%	17.41%	-19.03%	18.68%	22.45%	25.96%	-10.53%	19.64%
MDYG SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF	5.12%	7.22%	15.84%	17.30%	-18.92%	18.46%	22.57%	26.10%	-10.46%	19.61%

Returns By Period

As of year-to-date, both investments have demonstrated similar returns, with IJK at 5.12% and MDYG at 5.12%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IJK having a 10.57% annualized return and MDYG not far ahead at 10.61%.

IJK

• 1D: 1.11%
• 1M: -5.74%
• YTD: 5.12%
• 6M: 6.22%
• 1Y: 22.12%
• 3Y*: 13.42%
• 5Y*: 5.91%
• 10Y*: 10.57%

MDYG

• 1D: 1.12%
• 1M: -5.69%
• YTD: 5.12%
• 6M: 6.18%
• 1Y: 22.14%
• 3Y*: 13.40%
• 5Y*: 5.95%
• 10Y*: 10.61%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

IJK vs. MDYG - Expense Ratio Comparison

IJK has a 0.24% expense ratio, which is higher than MDYG's 0.15% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

IJK

iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF

MDYG

SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF

Return for Risk

IJK vs. MDYG — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

IJK

IJK Risk / Return Rank: 59
IJK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
IJK Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
IJK Omega Ratio Rank: 53
IJK Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
IJK Martin Ratio Rank: 67

MDYG

MDYG Risk / Return Rank: 59
MDYG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
MDYG Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
MDYG Omega Ratio Rank: 53
MDYG Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
MDYG Martin Ratio Rank: 67

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

IJK vs. MDYG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF (IJK) and SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF (MDYG). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	IJK	MDYG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.99	1.00	-0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.53	1.54	-0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.21	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.68	1.69	-0.01
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.18	7.23	-0.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IJK vs. MDYG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IJK Sharpe Ratio is 0.99, which is comparable to the MDYG Sharpe Ratio of 1.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IJK and MDYG, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IJK	MDYG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.99	1.00	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.29	0.29	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	0.51	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.35	0.45	-0.10

Correlation

The correlation between IJK and MDYG is 0.95, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

IJK vs. MDYG - Dividend Comparison

IJK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.61%, less than MDYG's 0.69% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IJK iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF	0.61%	0.66%	0.79%	1.13%	1.08%	0.50%	0.70%	1.09%	1.13%	0.93%	1.15%	1.12%
MDYG SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF	0.69%	0.75%	0.87%	1.20%	1.16%	0.69%	0.71%	1.21%	1.36%	2.23%	1.25%	2.51%

Drawdowns

IJK vs. MDYG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IJK drawdown since its inception was -54.47%, smaller than the maximum MDYG drawdown of -58.44%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IJK and MDYG.

Drawdown Indicators

	IJK	MDYG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.47%	-58.44%	+3.97%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.71%	-13.66%	-0.05%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.24%	-29.26%	+0.02%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.25%	-39.27%	+0.02%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.74%	-5.69%	-0.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.86%	-8.08%	-2.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.20%	3.18%	+0.02%

Volatility

IJK vs. MDYG - Volatility Comparison

iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth ETF (IJK) and SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF (MDYG) have volatilities of 7.86% and 7.89%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IJK	MDYG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.86%	7.89%	-0.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.37%	13.31%	+0.06%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.39%	22.21%	+0.18%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.63%	20.55%	+0.08%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.00%	20.99%	+0.01%