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Should iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Launched on July 17, 2001, the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $43.61 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Compared to large and small cap companies, mid cap businesses tend to have higher growth prospects and are less volatile, respectively, with market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. These types of companies, then, have a good balance of stability and growth potential.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.19%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.29%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector -- about 18.4% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Royal Caribbean Group Ltd (RCL) accounts for about 0.68% of total assets, followed by Coinbase Global Inc Class A (COIN) and Howmet Aerospace Inc (HWM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.46% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IWR seeks to match the performance of the Russell MidCap Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Midcap Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added roughly 7.39% so far this year and it's up approximately 15.44% in the last one year (as of 08/15/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $74.88 and $95.52.
The ETF has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 17.91% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 824 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, IWR is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) track a similar index. While Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF has $86.40 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $97.90 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Should iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on July 17, 2001, the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $43.61 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Compared to large and small cap companies, mid cap businesses tend to have higher growth prospects and are less volatile, respectively, with market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. These types of companies, then, have a good balance of stability and growth potential.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.19%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.29%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector -- about 18.4% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Royal Caribbean Group Ltd (RCL) accounts for about 0.68% of total assets, followed by Coinbase Global Inc Class A (COIN) and Howmet Aerospace Inc (HWM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.46% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IWR seeks to match the performance of the Russell MidCap Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Midcap Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added roughly 7.39% so far this year and it's up approximately 15.44% in the last one year (as of 08/15/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $74.88 and $95.52.
The ETF has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 17.91% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 824 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, IWR is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) track a similar index. While Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF has $86.40 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $97.90 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.