ETF Versus

IJR vs VWO

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-10

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.23%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $96.3B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.23% Since: May 22, 2000
VWO Vanguard

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (VWO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.64%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $114.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 2.64% Since: Mar 4, 2005

Quick Verdict

IJR has edged ahead over the past year (38.1% vs 35.4%). Income investors may prefer VWO for its higher yield (2.6% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VWO
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 2.6%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Small Cap Emerging Markets

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 77 89 101 113 125 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IJR +18.7%
VWO +9.5%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VWO Difference
1 Month +4.49% +2.17% +2.32%
3 Months +2.82% +0.84% +1.98%
6 Months +11.61% +5.12% +6.49%
YTD +7.20% +3.34% +3.86%
1 Year +38.09% +35.35% +2.74%
3 Years +35.49% +39.47% -3.98%
5 Years +18.67% +9.46% +9.21%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VWO Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $120 $120 $0
$10,000 20 years $515 $515 $0
$10,000 30 years $1,664 $1,664 $0
$50,000 10 years $598 $598 $0
$50,000 30 years $8,318 $8,318 $0
$100,000 30 years $16,637 $16,637 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VWO
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 17.4%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -35.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 -0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VWO
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $1.45
Dividend Yield 1.23% 2.56%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 8 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.29%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.60%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.57%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.53%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.53%
Element Solutions IncESI0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.50%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.50%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.48%

VWO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233012.71%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.44%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!otc/BABAF2.74%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.93%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.88%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.78%
MediaTek Inc.!tpe/24540.76%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.75%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

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

Choose VWO if...

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

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