IWS vs. IVOO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) and Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF (IVOO).

IWS and IVOO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IWS is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Russell Midcap Value Index. It was launched on Jul 17, 2001. IVOO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. It was launched on Sep 7, 2010. Both IWS and IVOO 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

IWS vs. IVOO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) and Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF (IVOO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IWS vs. IVOO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IWS iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF	3.65%	10.82%	12.91%	12.52%	-12.29%	28.10%	4.83%	26.73%	-12.43%	13.14%
IVOO Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF	2.57%	7.47%	13.77%	16.45%	-13.17%	24.61%	13.61%	26.18%	-11.33%	16.38%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IWS achieves a 3.65% return, which is significantly higher than IVOO's 2.57% return. Over the past 10 years, IWS has underperformed IVOO with an annualized return of 9.51%, while IVOO has yielded a comparatively higher 10.44% annualized return.

IWS

• 1D: 2.43%
• 1M: -5.01%
• YTD: 3.65%
• 6M: 5.15%
• 1Y: 17.51%
• 3Y*: 12.94%
• 5Y*: 7.47%
• 10Y*: 9.51%

IVOO

• 1D: 2.97%
• 1M: -5.28%
• YTD: 2.57%
• 6M: 4.28%
• 1Y: 17.42%
• 3Y*: 12.05%
• 5Y*: 6.55%
• 10Y*: 10.44%

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

IWS vs. IVOO - Expense Ratio Comparison

IWS has a 0.23% expense ratio, which is higher than IVOO's 0.10% 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%.

IWS

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF

IVOO

Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF

Return for Risk

IWS vs. IVOO — Risk / Return Rank

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

IWS

IWS Risk / Return Rank: 59
IWS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
IWS Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
IWS Omega Ratio Rank: 56
IWS Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
IWS Martin Ratio Rank: 65

IVOO

IVOO Risk / Return Rank: 52
IVOO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
IVOO Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
IVOO Omega Ratio Rank: 50
IVOO Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
IVOO Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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.

IWS vs. IVOO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) and Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF (IVOO). 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.

	IWS	IVOO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.82	+0.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.44	1.30	+0.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.18	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.37	1.24	+0.13
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.34	5.38	+0.96
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IWS vs. IVOO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IWS Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the IVOO Sharpe Ratio of 0.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IWS and IVOO, 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

	IWS	IVOO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.82	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.33	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.49	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.58	-0.18

Correlation

The correlation between IWS and IVOO 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

IWS vs. IVOO - Dividend Comparison

IWS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.48%, more than IVOO's 1.32% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IWS iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF	1.48%	1.53%	1.50%	1.76%	1.93%	1.39%	1.87%	1.97%	2.53%	1.96%	2.10%	2.14%
IVOO Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF	1.32%	1.35%	1.30%	1.25%	1.58%	1.14%	1.23%	1.49%	1.56%	1.22%	1.37%	1.45%

Drawdowns

IWS vs. IVOO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IWS drawdown since its inception was -62.40%, which is greater than IVOO's maximum drawdown of -42.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IWS and IVOO.

Drawdown Indicators

	IWS	IVOO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.40%	-42.33%	-20.07%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.33%	-14.17%	+0.84%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.23%	-24.22%	+2.99%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.83%	-42.33%	-1.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.29%	-6.10%	+0.81%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.07%	-5.31%	-2.76%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.89%	3.27%	-0.38%

Volatility

IWS vs. IVOO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) is 5.38%, while Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF (IVOO) has a volatility of 6.56%. This indicates that IWS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IVOO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IWS	IVOO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.38%	6.56%	-1.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.14%	11.90%	-1.76%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.29%	21.22%	-2.93%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.33%	19.73%	-2.40%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.35%	21.17%	-1.82%