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Should iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on July 17, 2001.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $44.38 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
Mid cap companies, with market capitalization in the range of $2 billion and $10 billion, offer investors many things that small and large companies don't, including less risk and higher growth opportunities. Thus they have a nice balance of growth potential and stability.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.18%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.23%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector -- about 18.3% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Royal Caribbean Group Ltd (RCL) accounts for about 0.71% of total assets, followed by Robinhood Markets Inc Class A (HOOD) and Bank Of New York Mellon Corp (BK).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.71% 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 gained about 8.51% so far this year and it's up approximately 7.12% in the last one year (as of 10/17/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $74.88 and $97.51.
The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 16.97% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 819 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 good 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 $88.30 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $98.37 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on July 17, 2001.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $44.38 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
Mid cap companies, with market capitalization in the range of $2 billion and $10 billion, offer investors many things that small and large companies don't, including less risk and higher growth opportunities. Thus they have a nice balance of growth potential and stability.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.18%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.23%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector -- about 18.3% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Royal Caribbean Group Ltd (RCL) accounts for about 0.71% of total assets, followed by Robinhood Markets Inc Class A (HOOD) and Bank Of New York Mellon Corp (BK).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.71% 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 gained about 8.51% so far this year and it's up approximately 7.12% in the last one year (as of 10/17/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $74.88 and $97.51.
The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 16.97% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 819 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 good 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 $88.30 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $98.37 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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.