ETF Versus

IWF vs VEA

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF vs Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IWF iShares

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $108.0B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.39% Since: May 22, 2000
VEA Vanguard

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.88%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $198.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 2.88% Since: Jul 20, 2007

Quick Verdict

VEA is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $297 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, VEA has significantly outperformed with a 27.7% return vs 18.2%. Income investors may prefer VEA for its higher yield (2.9% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IWF VEA
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 0.4% 2.9%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 95 120 145 170 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWF +71.3%
VEA +29.0%

Performance Comparison

Period IWF VEA Difference
1 Month -4.73% -5.61% +0.88%
3 Months -8.83% +3.07% -11.90%
6 Months -8.48% +6.68% -15.16%
YTD -8.83% +3.07% -11.90%
1 Year +18.20% +27.70% -9.50%
3 Years +75.80% +43.04% +32.76%
5 Years +71.26% +28.99% +42.27%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWF Fees VEA Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $60 $297
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $258 $1.271
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $835 $4.076
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $299 $1.486
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $4.176 $20.382
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $8.352 $40.764

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWF VEA
Annualized Volatility 21.4% 16.4%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -32.3%
Sharpe Ratio 0.40 0.12

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWF VEA
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.69 $1.88
Dividend Yield 0.39% 2.88%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IWF Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL11.79%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT8.78%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.81%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.57%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.83%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.62%

VEA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059302.18%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.77%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.24%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L1.03%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.00%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.99%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.98%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.86%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.80%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VEA if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose VEA if...

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

Choose VEA if...

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

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