ETF Versus

IJH vs VUG

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

IJH

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.26%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $111.0B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.26% Since: May 22, 2000
VUG

Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VUG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $193.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 0.43% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VUG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.05%), saving about $40 per $10,000 over 10 years. IJH has edged ahead over the past year (31.6% vs 30.1%). Income investors may prefer IJH for its higher yield (1.3% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJH VUG
Expense Ratio 0.05% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 0.4%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Mid Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 97 119 141 163 185 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
IJH +32.3%
VUG +68.9%

Performance Comparison

Period IJH VUG Difference
1 Month +3.36% -0.86% +4.22%
3 Months +2.09% -6.70% +8.79%
6 Months +9.58% -4.19% +13.77%
YTD +5.62% -5.49% +11.11%
1 Year +31.65% +30.07% +1.58%
3 Years +41.89% +86.72% -44.83%
5 Years +32.26% +68.85% -36.59%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJH Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $100 $60 $40
$10,000 20 years $430 $258 $171
$10,000 30 years $1,388 $835 $553
$50,000 10 years $499 $299 $199
$50,000 30 years $6,941 $4,176 $2,765
$100,000 30 years $13,882 $8,352 $5,531

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJH VUG
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -24.6% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.16 0.38

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJH VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.89 $1.99
Dividend Yield 1.26% 0.43%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJH Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.88%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.81%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.81%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.75%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.75%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.71%
FabrinetFN0.66%
Royal Gold, Inc.RGLD0.65%
MasTec, Inc.MTZ0.64%
Carpenter Technology CorporationCRS0.64%

VUG Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.23%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.49%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.44%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.41%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.95%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.58%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.82%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VUG if...

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

Choose IJH if...

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

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