ETF Versus

IJH vs VO

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

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJH iShares

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares 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 1.31%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $104.0B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.31% Since: May 22, 2000
VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.50%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $90.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.50% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VO 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 (16.1% vs 11.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJH VO
Expense Ratio 0.05% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 1.5%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Mid Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 92 104 116 128 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJH +28.1%
VO +27.8%

Performance Comparison

Period IJH VO Difference
1 Month -5.55% -5.54% -0.01%
3 Months +1.78% -1.24% +3.02%
6 Months +3.54% -2.10% +5.64%
YTD +1.78% -1.24% +3.02%
1 Year +16.09% +11.38% +4.71%
3 Years +36.14% +37.24% -1.10%
5 Years +28.09% +27.84% +0.25%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJH Fees VO 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 VO
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 17.6%
Max Drawdown -24.6% -28.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.11

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJH VO
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.89 $4.33
Dividend Yield 1.31% 1.50%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJH Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.92%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.84%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.78%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.76%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.72%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.70%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.67%
US Foods Holding Corp.USFD0.64%
FabrinetFN0.63%
Burlington Stores, Inc.BURL0.62%

VO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Newmont CorporationNEM1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI0.83%
CRH plcCRH0.83%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VO 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...

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

Either works if...

you just need broad us mid cap exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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