# IWF ETF: fees, returns, drawdowns and holdings

> What IWF holds, its 0.18% yearly fee, returns by year, its worst drop, and which Tactfolio strategies hold it. Updated daily.

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](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- Expense ratio: 0.18% a year (about $18 on $10,000).
- Started trading on May 22, 2000.
- Last close: $121.48 on October 16, 2026.
- Return over the last year: 4.9%.
- Worst drop since 2000: −64.2%.
- No Tactfolio classic strategies hold it.

## 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 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Full year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part) | −1.6% | −3.4% | −5.2% | 11.9% | 7.2% | −2.8% | −4.7% | 3.7% | 2.2% | −3.0% |  |  | 2.9% |
| 2025 | 1.9% | −3.6% | −8.4% | 1.6% | 8.9% | 6.4% | 3.7% | 1.2% | 5.2% | 3.7% | −1.9% | −0.6% | 18.3% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | 6.6% | 1.9% | −4.2% | 6.0% | 6.6% | −1.7% | 2.0% | 2.9% | −0.4% | 6.5% | 0.9% | 33.1% |
| 2023 | 8.3% | −1.2% | 6.8% | 1.0% | 4.7% | 6.7% | 3.4% | −1.0% | −5.5% | −1.5% | 11.0% | 4.4% | 42.6% |
| 2022 | −8.7% | −4.2% | 4.0% | −12.2% | −2.3% | −8.0% | 12.1% | −4.7% | −9.7% | 5.8% | 4.5% | −7.7% | −29.3% |
| 2021 | −0.8% | 0.0% | 1.8% | 6.9% | −1.4% | 6.1% | 3.4% | 3.6% | −5.7% | 8.7% | 0.6% | 2.0% | 27.4% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | −6.6% | −10.1% | 14.7% | 6.7% | 4.3% | 7.8% | 10.2% | −4.7% | −3.4% | 10.3% | 4.5% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 8.9% | 3.6% | 2.8% | 4.4% | −6.3% | 6.5% | 2.5% | −0.9% | 0.1% | 2.8% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 35.9% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | −2.6% | −2.7% | 0.3% | 4.4% | 1.0% | 2.9% | 5.4% | 0.6% | −8.9% | 0.9% | −8.4% | −1.7% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | 4.1% | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.6% | −0.3% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 3.9% | 2.9% | 0.9% | 29.9% |
| 2016 | −5.7% | 0.0% | 6.7% | −0.9% | 2.0% | −0.4% | 4.8% | −0.5% | 0.3% | −2.3% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 7.0% |
| 2015 | −1.5% | 6.6% | −1.2% | 0.5% | 1.3% | −1.8% | 3.4% | −6.1% | −2.6% | 8.7% | 0.3% | −1.5% | 5.5% |
| 2014 | −2.9% | 5.1% | −1.0% | 0.1% | 3.0% | 1.9% | −1.5% | 4.5% | −1.4% | 2.5% | 3.3% | −1.1% | 12.8% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | 1.1% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 1.9% | −2.1% | 5.5% | −1.8% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 33.1% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | 4.7% | 3.3% | −0.1% | −6.4% | 2.8% | 1.1% | 3.3% | 1.4% | −2.9% | 1.8% | 0.0% | 15.2% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | 3.4% | 0.0% | 3.3% | −1.1% | −1.4% | −0.9% | −5.4% | −7.3% | 10.8% | −0.1% | −0.3% | 2.3% |
| 2010 | −4.5% | 3.5% | 5.8% | 1.1% | −7.7% | −5.5% | 7.2% | −4.7% | 10.6% | 4.9% | 1.1% | 5.4% | 16.5% |
| 2009 | −5.1% | −7.5% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 5.2% | 0.9% | 7.2% | 1.9% | 4.0% | −1.3% | 6.2% | 3.0% | 36.7% |
| 2008 | −7.9% | −1.7% | −0.8% | 5.5% | 3.3% | −6.9% | −2.0% | 1.3% | −10.9% | −17.7% | −8.4% | 1.8% | −38.2% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | −1.8% | 0.6% | 4.6% | 3.7% | −1.7% | −1.4% | 1.2% | 4.7% | 2.9% | −3.4% | −0.7% | 11.5% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | 0.3% | 2.0% | −0.3% | −3.7% | −0.1% | −2.0% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 0.2% | 8.9% |
| 2005 | −3.4% | 1.2% | −2.2% | −1.8% | 5.0% | −0.5% | 5.1% | −1.5% | 0.5% | −1.4% | 4.7% | −0.6% | 4.8% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | 0.6% | −1.9% | −1.1% | 1.9% | 0.9% | −5.3% | −1.1% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 4.0% | 3.7% | 6.2% |
| 2003 | −2.5% | −0.3% | 1.6% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 2.4% | −0.9% | 5.3% | 0.9% | 3.8% | 30.1% |
| 2002 | −1.9% | −3.6% | 3.3% | −8.3% | −2.6% | −9.2% | −5.3% | −0.1% | −9.8% | 8.4% | 5.7% | −7.2% | −28.1% |
| 2001 | 7.3% | −17.8% | −11.0% | 12.9% | −1.3% | −1.3% | −3.6% | −8.2% | −9.9% | 5.3% | 9.3% | −0.2% | −20.8% |
| 2000 (part) |  |  |  |  | 5.1% | 5.4% | −3.9% | 9.4% | −9.3% | −5.3% | −14.8% | −2.8% | −17.1% |

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.

- Its 50-day average is 4.2% above its 200-day average.
- It closed 6.0% below its highest close of the last 52 weeks.

A moving average is the average close over the last so many days. Trend rules such as [the 10-month moving average strategy](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/faber-10-month-moving-average.md) hold a fund only while it is above one. You can [build that rule for IWF](https://tactfolio.com/builder) 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 | Started | Bottom | Back to the high | Fall took | Recovery took |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −64.2% | Jul 17, 2000 | Mar 9, 2009 | Sep 18, 2013 | 8.6 years | 4.5 years |
| −32.7% | Dec 27, 2021 | Oct 14, 2022 | Jan 10, 2024 | 10 months | 15 months |
| −31.6% | Feb 19, 2020 | Mar 23, 2020 | Jun 8, 2020 | 33 days | 3 months |
| −23.4% | Dec 16, 2024 | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 26, 2025 | 4 months | 3 months |
| −21.9% | Oct 1, 2018 | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 12, 2019 | 3 months | 4 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).

| Fact | IWF |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF |
| Issuer | iShares (BlackRock) |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% a year |
| Started trading | May 22, 2000 |
| Tracks | Russell 1000 Growth Index |
| Type | US stocks, ETF |
| Holdings | 372 holdings as of October 15, 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 17, 2026 on the [iShares (BlackRock) fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239706/ishares-russell-1000-growth-etf) |

## 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](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and see how they would have done.

## How does IWF compare with similar ETFs?

Funds that can stand in for IWF:

- [VONG](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VONG.md): Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF, 0.06% a year
- [VUG](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VUG.md): Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, 0.03% a year
- [SCHG](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SCHG.md): Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF, 0.04% a year
- [SPYG](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SPYG.md): State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF, 0.04% a year

See [all 8 IWF alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/IWF.md), 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](https://tactfolio.com/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](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) and [how to read drawdown and CAGR](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/reading-a-backtest.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [S&P 500 index](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index): The S&P 500 tracks about 500 large US companies. Learn how stocks get in, how the index is weighted, how to invest in it, and how far it has fallen before.
- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.
- [Backtesting](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting): Free backtesting software for stocks, ETFs, and crypto perps.

## 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.

## Sources

- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239706/ishares-russell-1000-growth-etf)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.