iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF)
$121.48−2.22%close of Oct 16, 2026
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) run by iShares (BlackRock). This fund owns large and medium sized US companies that are growing faster than average. It charges 0.18% a year. From May 2000 to October 2026 it returned about 8.3% a year, and its worst drop was −64.2%.
Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.
- Yearly fee
- 0.18%
- about $18 on $10,000
- 1-year return
- 4.9%
- to Oct 16, 2026
- Return per year
- 8.3%
- since May 2000
- Worst drop
- −64.2%
- since 2000
- Below its high
- −6.0%
- now
- Volatility
- 20.8%
- yearly swings
- Issuer
- iShares (BlackRock)
- Tracks
- Russell 1000 Growth Index
- Started trading
- May 22, 2000
- Type
- US stocks, ETF
- Holdings
- 372 holdings as of October 15, 2026
- Expense ratio
- 0.18% a year
How has IWF done since 2000?#
From May 2000 to October 2026, IWF returned about 8.3% a year. The S&P 500 returned about 8.6% a year over the same dates. Say you put in $10,000 at the start. It would have been worth about $81,534 at the end, with every dividend reinvested.
| Period | IWF | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| 3 months | 0.3% | 1.9% |
| 6 months | 3.7% | 9.3% |
| Year to date | 2.9% | 12.8% |
| 1 year | 4.9% | 16.8% |
| 3 years per year | 21.4% | 22.0% |
| 5 years per year | 11.9% | 12.8% |
| 10 years per year | 17.8% | 15.4% |
| Since 2000 per year | 8.3% | 8.6% |
Periods longer than a year show the return per year (CAGR). Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.
IWF returns by month and year#
IWF rose in 188 of its 318 months (59%). Its best month was April 2020, at 14.7%. Its worst was February 2001, at −17.8%.
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.9% | −1.5 | −3.4 | −5.2 | 11.9 | 7.2 | −2.8 | −4.7 | 3.7 | 2.2 | −3.0 | ||
| 2025 | 18.3% | 1.9 | −3.6 | −8.4 | 1.6 | 8.9 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 3.7 | −1.9 | −0.6 |
| 2024 | 33.1% | 2.4 | 6.6 | 1.9 | −4.2 | 6.0 | 6.6 | −1.7 | 2.0 | 2.9 | −0.4 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
| 2023 | 42.6% | 8.3 | −1.2 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 3.4 | −1.0 | −5.5 | −1.5 | 11.0 | 4.4 |
| 2022 | −29.3% | −8.7 | −4.2 | 4.0 | −12.2 | −2.3 | −8.0 | 12.1 | −4.7 | −9.7 | 5.8 | 4.5 | −7.7 |
| 2021 | 27.4% | −0.8 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 6.9 | −1.4 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 3.7 | −5.6 | 8.7 | 0.6 | 2.0 |
| 2020 | 38.3% | 2.3 | −6.6 | −10.0 | 14.7 | 6.7 | 4.3 | 7.8 | 10.2 | −4.6 | −3.4 | 10.3 | 4.5 |
| 2019 | 35.9% | 8.9 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 4.4 | −6.2 | 6.5 | 2.5 | −0.9 | 0.1 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 2.9 |
| 2018 | −1.7% | 7.0 | −2.6 | −2.7 | 0.3 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 0.6 | −8.9 | 0.9 | −8.4 |
| 2017 | 29.9% | 3.3 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.6 | −0.3 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 0.9 |
| 2016 | 7.0% | −5.7 | 0.0 | 6.7 | −0.9 | 2.0 | −0.4 | 4.8 | −0.5 | 0.3 | −2.3 | 2.2 | 1.3 |
| 2015 | 5.5% | −1.5 | 6.6 | −1.2 | 0.6 | 1.3 | −1.7 | 3.4 | −6.1 | −2.6 | 8.7 | 0.3 | −1.5 |
| 2014 | 12.8% | −2.9 | 5.1 | −1.0 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 1.9 | −1.5 | 4.5 | −1.4 | 2.5 | 3.3 | −1.1 |
| 2013 | 33.1% | 4.2 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | −2.1 | 5.6 | −1.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| 2012 | 15.2% | 6.0 | 4.7 | 3.3 | −0.1 | −6.4 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 1.4 | −2.9 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| 2011 | 2.3% | 2.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 3.3 | −1.1 | −1.4 | −0.9 | −5.4 | −7.3 | 10.8 | −0.1 | −0.3 |
| 2010 | 16.5% | −4.5 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 1.1 | −7.7 | −5.5 | 7.2 | −4.7 | 10.6 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 5.4 |
| 2009 | 36.7% | −5.1 | −7.5 | 8.3 | 10.2 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 7.3 | 1.9 | 4.0 | −1.3 | 6.2 | 3.1 |
| 2008 | −38.2% | −7.9 | −1.7 | −0.8 | 5.6 | 3.3 | −6.9 | −2.0 | 1.3 | −10.9 | −17.7 | −8.4 | 1.8 |
| 2007 | 11.5% | 2.6 | −1.8 | 0.6 | 4.6 | 3.7 | −1.7 | −1.4 | 1.2 | 4.7 | 2.9 | −3.4 | −0.7 |
| 2006 | 8.9% | 1.4 | 0.3 | 2.0 | −0.3 | −3.7 | −0.1 | −2.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| 2005 | 4.8% | −3.4 | 1.2 | −2.2 | −1.8 | 5.0 | −0.5 | 5.1 | −1.5 | 0.5 | −1.4 | 4.7 | −0.6 |
| 2004 | 6.2% | 2.2 | 0.6 | −1.9 | −1.1 | 2.0 | 0.9 | −5.2 | −1.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
| 2003 | 30.1% | −2.5 | −0.2 | 1.6 | 7.8 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 2.4 | −0.9 | 5.4 | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| 2002 | −28.1% | −1.9 | −3.6 | 3.3 | −8.3 | −2.6 | −9.2 | −5.2 | −0.1 | −9.7 | 8.4 | 5.7 | −7.2 |
| 2001 | −20.8% | 7.3 | −17.7 | −11.0 | 12.9 | −1.3 | −1.3 | −3.6 | −8.2 | −9.9 | 5.3 | 9.3 | −0.2 |
| 2000 | −17.1% | 5.1 | 5.4 | −3.9 | 9.5 | −9.3 | −5.3 | −14.8 | −2.8 |
Each month runs from the last close of the month before. The first month counts from the first close.
How risky is IWF compared with the S&P 500?#
Measured from October 2021 to October 2026, on the days both traded.
- Beta 1.22. When the S&P 500 moved 1% in a day, IWF tended to move about 1.22%.
- Correlation 0.96. IWF mostly moved with the S&P 500.
- Up and down months. In months the S&P 500 rose, IWF rose 105% as much on average. In months it fell, IWF fell 111% as much.
| Measure | IWF | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|
| Return per year | 11.7% | 12.8% |
| Volatility | 21.8% | 17.1% |
| Worst drop | −32.7% | −24.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.89 | 1.15 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.36 | 0.52 |
Volatility is how much the price swings in a year. The Sharpe ratio is return per unit of volatility, the Sortino ratio counts only the falls, and the Calmar ratio is the return per year over the worst drop. Higher ratios mean more return for the risk taken.
Is IWF above its 200-day average?#
IWF closed 2.0% above its 200-day average on October 16, 2026. A rule that holds IWF only above that average would hold it today.
- vs 200-day average
- +2.0%
- above it
- 50-day vs 200-day
- +4.2%
- trend rising
- vs 52-week high
- −6.0%
- high of $129.19
A moving average is the average close over the last so many days. Trend rules such as the 10-month moving average strategy hold a fund only while it is above one. You can build that rule for IWF and backtest it in a minute.
What was IWF’s worst drop?#
A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. IWF’s worst fall was −64.2%, from July 17, 2000 to March 9, 2009. It got back to that high on September 18, 2013. On October 16, 2026 it was 6.0% below its highest close.
| Drop | From the high | To the bottom | Back to the high |
|---|---|---|---|
| −64.2% | Jul 17, 2000 | Mar 9, 20098.6 years | Sep 18, 20134.5 years |
| −32.7% | Dec 27, 2021 | Oct 14, 202210 months | Jan 10, 202415 months |
| −31.6% | Feb 19, 2020 | Mar 23, 202033 days | Jun 8, 20203 months |
| −23.4% | Dec 16, 2024 | Apr 8, 20254 months | Jun 26, 20253 months |
| −21.9% | Oct 1, 2018 | Dec 24, 20183 months | Apr 12, 20194 months |
Big drops are normal for some funds. They matter because selling during a drop locks in the loss.
What does IWF hold?#
This fund owns large and medium sized US companies that are growing faster than average. Many of them are big technology companies. A few very large companies make up a big part of the fund.
It tracks the Russell 1000 Growth Index. It had 372 holdings as of October 15, 2026, according to iShares (BlackRock).
What is the IWF expense ratio?#
IWF charges 0.18% a year. An expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes to run itself. On $10,000, a 0.18% fee comes to about $18 a year. Of the 162 ETFs on Tactfolio, 34% charge more.
You never get a bill for it. The fund takes the fee out of its own value a little each day.
Which Tactfolio strategies hold IWF?#
No classic strategy holds IWF yet. You can add it to your own rules in the builder and see how they would have done.
How does IWF compare with similar ETFs?#
Funds that can stand in for IWF:
- VONG: Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF, 0.06% a year
- VUG: Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, 0.03% a year
- SCHG: Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF, 0.04% a year
- SPYG: State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF, 0.04% a year
See all 8 IWF alternatives, compared on the same dates as IWF.
Test IWF in your own rules#
Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the builder, add IWF, and see how a rule such as “hold it only above its 200-day average” would have done. Strategies run on daily prices and hold US stocks and ETFs only.
The details#
Prices come from Tactfolio’s stored daily prices for IWF and SPY. Each close is adjusted for splits, and dividends are reinvested on the day the fund pays them out. CAGR is the steady yearly return that turns the starting value into the ending value. Volatility is the yearly standard deviation of daily returns. Beta and correlation compare daily returns with the S&P 500 over the same dates.
Fund facts come from iShares (BlackRock). We checked them on October 17, 2026. Read what a backtest simulates and how to read drawdown and CAGR for more on these measures.
Common questions#
What is the expense ratio of IWF?#
IWF charges 0.18% a year, according to iShares (BlackRock) as of October 17, 2026. That is about $18 a year for every $10,000 you hold.
When did IWF start trading?#
IWF started trading on May 22, 2000. It is run by iShares (BlackRock).
What does IWF track?#
IWF tracks the Russell 1000 Growth Index. This fund owns large and medium sized US companies that are growing faster than average.
How much has IWF returned per year?#
From May 2000 to October 2026, IWF returned about 8.3% a year with dividends reinvested. Its worst drop was −64.2%. Past returns do not tell you what it will do next.
Is IWF above its 200-day moving average?#
On October 16, 2026, IWF closed 2.0% above its 200-day moving average. This page updates after each US market close.
Which strategies use IWF?#
None of Tactfolio’s classic strategies hold IWF yet. You can test it in your own rules in the builder.