IWM vs. BRK-B
IWM (iShares Russell 2000 ETF) is Small Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Russell 2000 Index, while BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, IWM returned 10.54%/yr vs 13.19%/yr for BRK-B. At a 0.48 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
IWM vs. BRK-B - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IWM achieves a 14.62% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-B's -2.89% return. Over the past 10 years, IWM has underperformed BRK-B with an annualized return of 10.54%, while BRK-B has yielded a comparatively higher 13.19% annualized return.
IWM
- 1D
- -3.55%
- 1M
- -0.89%
- YTD
- 14.62%
- 6M
- 12.89%
- 1Y
- 34.35%
- 3Y*
- 16.56%
- 5Y*
- 5.66%
- 10Y*
- 10.54%
BRK-B
- 1D
- 1.98%
- 1M
- 2.56%
- YTD
- -2.89%
- 6M
- -3.21%
- 1Y
- -1.09%
- 3Y*
- 13.55%
- 5Y*
- 10.78%
- 10Y*
- 13.19%
IWM vs. BRK-B - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | 14.62% | 12.66% | 11.38% | 16.83% | -20.48% | 14.54% | 20.03% | 25.39% | -11.12% | 14.58% |
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | -2.89% | 10.89% | 27.09% | 15.46% | 3.31% | 28.95% | 2.37% | 10.93% | 3.01% | 21.62% |
Correlation
The correlation between IWM and BRK-B is 0.15, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.49 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.54 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 30, 2000 | 0.48 |
Over the past year, the correlation between IWM and BRK-B has dropped to 0.15 - well below their long-term average of 0.48, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
IWM vs. BRK-B — Risk / Return Rank
IWM
BRK-B
IWM vs. BRK-B - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B). 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.
| IWM | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.89 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.51 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.01 | +0.30 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.33 | -0.01 | +3.34 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.78 | -0.03 | +11.80 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IWM | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.88 | -0.01 | +1.89 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.25 | 0.63 | -0.38 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.46 | 0.68 | -0.22 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.36 | 0.48 | -0.12 |
Drawdowns
IWM vs. BRK-B - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IWM drawdown since its inception was -59.05%, which is greater than BRK-B's maximum drawdown of -53.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IWM and BRK-B.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IWM | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.05% | -53.86% | -5.19% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.03% | -9.42% | -1.61% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -27.50% | -14.95% | -12.55% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -31.91% | -26.58% | -5.33% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -41.13% | -29.57% | -11.56% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.55% | -9.57% | +6.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.76% | -11.07% | +0.31% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.11% | 4.47% | -1.36% |
Volatility
IWM vs. BRK-B - Volatility Comparison
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) has a higher volatility of 6.65% compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) at 4.08%. This indicates that IWM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BRK-B based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IWM | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.65% | 4.08% | +2.57% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.00% | 10.87% | +3.13% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.54% | 14.39% | +5.15% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 22.58% | 17.13% | +5.45% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.06% | 19.43% | +3.63% |
Dividends
IWM vs. BRK-B - Dividend Comparison
IWM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.90%, while BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | 0.90% | 1.04% | 1.15% | 1.35% | 1.48% | 0.94% | 1.04% | 1.26% | 1.40% | 1.26% | 1.38% | 1.54% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IWM and BRK-B have a correlation of 0.15, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IWM has higher volatility (6.65%) compared to BRK-B (4.08%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IWM dropped -59.05% vs BRK-B's -53.86%.
IWM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.88 vs -0.01), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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