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Should iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Launched on May 22, 2000, the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $107.60 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.
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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.06%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.16%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. 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 17% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Blk Csh Fnd Treasury Sl Agency (XTSLA) accounts for about 1.98% of total assets, followed by Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) and Viasat Inc (VSAT).
The top 10 holdings account for about 6.86% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IJR seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Index measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added roughly 18.84% so far this year and is up about 19.76% in the last one year (as of 09/14/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $112.05 and $150.44.
The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 19.78% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 680 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IJR is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and the Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $78.02 billion in assets, Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF has $79.24 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VB charges 0.03%.
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.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
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Should iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on May 22, 2000, the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $107.60 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.
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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.06%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.16%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. 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 17% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Blk Csh Fnd Treasury Sl Agency (XTSLA) accounts for about 1.98% of total assets, followed by Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) and Viasat Inc (VSAT).
The top 10 holdings account for about 6.86% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IJR seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Index measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added roughly 18.84% so far this year and is up about 19.76% in the last one year (as of 09/14/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $112.05 and $150.44.
The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 19.78% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 680 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IJR is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and the Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $78.02 billion in assets, Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF has $79.24 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VB charges 0.03%.
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.