At a glance
IDU charges 0.37% a year, above the 0.35% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 9). It has $1.46B in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 2.35% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned −2.5% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +17.2% a year. At its worst it fell 35.7% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 19.8% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 17 months and 19 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 52.0% of the fund, out of 45 in all.
The short version
The iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU) tracks a capped Russell 1000 utilities index. As of July 31, 2026, it held 45 U.S. stocks, led by NextEra Energy, Southern Company and Duke Energy. It pays dividends quarterly and yielded 2.35% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. Its main drawback is cost: 0.37% a year, against about 0.08% to 0.09% for SPDR, Vanguard and Fidelity utilities ETFs that own largely the same companies.
Price history
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IDU -2.5% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDU official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +15.27% | — | +9.56% | +10.16% | — |
| Russell3000Index index, same period | — | +17.15% | — | +13.15% | +14.29% | — |
| Russell1000Utilities RIC index, same period | — | +15.72% | — | +9.96% | +10.62% | — |
| IDU price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +3.1% | -2.5% | +17.2% | +8.4% | +9.0% | +7.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, IDU returned -2.5%, 6th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +8.4% and its 10-year +9.0%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 35.7% and regained its old high 16.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-31.2%); its best was 2014 (+27.3%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 48.7% (Dec 10, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009), recovered by Mar 20, 2013.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +3.1% | — |
| 2025 | +15.2% | +15.27% |
| 2024 | +23.3% | +23.24% |
| 2023 | -5.0% | -5.05% |
| 2022 | +0.2% | +0.22% |
| 2021 | +16.9% | +16.76% |
| 2020 | -1.1% | -1.06% |
| 2019 | +24.2% | +24.36% |
| 2018 | +4.0% | +3.91% |
| 2017 | +11.9% | +11.96% |
| 2016 | +16.4% | +16.51% |
| 2015 | -5.6% | — |
| 2014 | +27.3% | — |
| 2013 | +14.8% | — |
| 2012 | +0.7% | — |
| 2011 | +16.6% | — |
| 2010 | +5.1% | — |
| 2009 | +10.1% | — |
| 2008 | -31.2% | — |
| 2007 | +15.3% | — |
| 2006 | +19.2% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 45.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 48.7%, back to its old high 48.4 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 35.6% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 35.7%, back to its old high 16.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 11.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 19.8%, back to its old high 19.1 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.9000 | |
| 2025 | $2.4100 | +9.0% |
| 2024 | $2.2100 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | $2.2300 | +7.7% |
| 2022 | $2.0700 | -1.9% |
| 2021 | $2.1100 | -7.7% |
| 2020 | $2.2850 | +4.3% |
| 2019 | $2.1900 | +16.2% |
| 2018 | $1.8850 | +8.3% |
| 2017 | $1.7400 | -9.8% |
| 2016 | $1.9300 | +4.5% |
| 2015 | $1.8475 | +8.7% |
| 2014 | $1.7000 | +4.9% |
| 2013 | $1.6200 | +24.0% |
| 2012 | $1.3063 | +80.3% |
| 2011 | $0.7245 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | $0.7255 | +4.3% |
| 2009 | $0.6953 | +9.0% |
| 2008 | $0.6380 | +8.0% |
| 2007 | $0.5905 | +6.0% |
| 2006 | $0.5570 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 45 securities; the ten largest made up 51.98% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| NEXTERA ENERGY, INC. | 11.20% | |
| THE SOUTHERN COMPANY | 6.59% | |
| DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION | 6.03% | |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC. | 5.21% | |
| CONSTELLATION ENERGY CORPORATION. | 5.20% | |
| AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC. | 4.30% | |
| Dominion Energy, Inc. | 3.76% | |
| SEMPRA | 3.57% | |
| VISTRA CORP. | 3.08% | |
| ENTERGY CORPORATION | 3.04% | |
| Xcel Energy Inc. | 3.01% | |
| EXELON CORPORATION | 2.90% | |
| REPUBLIC SERVICES, INC. | 2.59% | |
| CONSOLIDATED EDISON, INC. | 2.48% | |
| PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GROUP INCORPORATED | 2.36% |
By country
United States 98.85%Canada 0.94%By asset type
Stocks 99.79%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 84.8% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jul 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $82.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -5.19%, +2.85%, -2.05%.
How it works
IDU tracks the Russell 1000 Utilities RIC 22.5/45 Capped Index. FTSE Russell, part of the London Stock Exchange Group, builds the index. It takes the utilities companies from the Russell 1000, which covers roughly the 1,000 largest U.S. companies, and weights them by float-adjusted market value. That means bigger companies count for more, based only on the shares available for public trading. At each quarterly rebalance, caps limit any one company to 22.5% of the index. They also hold the combined weight of all companies above 4.5% to no more than 45%. Price moves can push weights past those limits between rebalances.
BlackRock Fund Advisors runs the fund using representative sampling. It buys a selection of index stocks chosen to behave like the whole index, so it may not own every one. At least 80% of assets must be in index components. The fund may also use derivatives, hold cash and lend out up to one-third of its assets. As of July 31, 2026, it held 45 stocks, 0.51% in cash and one small utilities futures contract. Portfolio turnover was 3% in the latest prospectus, so the holdings change little from year to year.
Russell's definition of the sector goes beyond power and gas companies. As of July 31, 2026, about 75% of assets were classed as utilities and about 8% as industrials, a group that includes Waste Management and Republic Services.
What it really costs
- IDU charges 0.37% a year, versus an average of 0.35% for the similar funds below (4th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $38 in the first year and $468 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDU | $38 | $119 | $208 | $468 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its mostly regulated utility holdings gave it a roughly flat 2022, though it has fallen sharply in severe crashes.
Utility stocks are often seen as defensive because demand for power holds up in recessions. IDU returned 0.22% in 2022, a bear-market year. It is not crash-proof, though. From December 2007 to March 2009 it fell 48.7% and took about 48 months to recover. 2008 was its worst calendar year, at -31.2%. In the 2020 COVID crash it dropped 35.7% and needed nearly 17 months to get back to its peak. Selling shares or drawing income in years like those would lock in losses.
The fund yielded 2.35% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. In the SEC's standard example, its 0.37% fee comes to $468 over 10 years on $10,000. That is well above the 0.08% to 0.09% charged by XLU, VPU and FUTY. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting one fund of 45 U.S. utility stocks, led by NextEra Energy, Southern and Duke Energy, with dividends paid quarterly.
- Holders who value low turnover: the fund traded just 3% of its portfolio, which tends to keep trading costs and taxable gains down.
- Those comfortable with a utilities fund that also holds waste haulers such as Waste Management and Republic Services, about 8% in industrials.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: XLU, VPU and FUTY charge 0.08% to 0.09% a year versus IDU's 0.37%, with 86% to 90% holdings overlap.
- Anyone who needs a fund that holds up in severe crashes: IDU lost 48.7% in 2008–09 and 35.7% in early 2020.
- Investors wanting broad diversification: as of July 31, 2026, the top 10 holdings were 52% of assets, with NextEra alone at 11.2%.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDU this fund | — | 0.37% | $1.46B | -2.5% | +17.2% |
| FUTY Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF | 90% | 0.084% | $2.32B | -4.0% | +17.0% |
| VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF | 89% | 0.09% | $10.08B | -4.1% | +17.0% |
| XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund | 86% | 0.08% | $23.11B | -0.4% | -7.8% |
| RSPU Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Utilities ETF | 68% | 0.4% | $538.5M | -1.5% | +18.0% |
| JXI iShares Global Utilities ETF | 62% | 0.41% | $322.8M | +3.4% | +18.7% |
| PUI Invesco Dorsey Wright Utilities Momentum ETF | 57% | 0.6% | $54.6M | -5.9% | +16.7% |
| FXU First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund | 56% | 0.63% | $831.0M | +4.1% | +22.3% |
Questions investors ask
Is IDU good for retirement income?
It can add some income, but it pays only a modest amount. IDU yielded 2.35% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. That works out to $2.58 per share, paid quarterly. Utility companies don't have to keep paying dividends, and the fund's price can swing widely: it fell 48.7% in the 2008 financial crisis. It is also a single-sector fund, so it covers only one slice of a portfolio.
What's the difference between IDU and VPU?
The main difference is cost. Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) charges 0.09% a year, versus 0.37% for IDU, and the two share about 89% of their holdings. VPU is also much larger, with about $10.1 billion in net assets as of August 31, 2026. IDU had $1.46 billion as of July 31, 2026. Their returns have been close: both gained about 17% a year over the three years to October 27, 2026.
Does IDU pay monthly dividends?
No. IDU pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $2.58 per share, a trailing yield of 2.35%. The payouts come from dividends on the stocks the fund owns, such as NextEra Energy, Southern Company and Duke Energy. That means the amount can change from one quarter to the next. Investors who want monthly income would need a different fund.
Why does IDU own Waste Management?
Because FTSE Russell, which builds IDU's index, uses a definition of the utilities sector that includes some waste companies. As of July 31, 2026, Waste Management was the fund's fourth-largest holding at 5.2%, and Republic Services made up 2.6%. About 75% of assets were classed as utilities and about 8% as industrials. Investors expecting only electric and gas companies may find the mix broader than they assumed.
How has IDU performed compared with the stock market?
It has trailed the broad U.S. market over longer periods. In the 10 years to December 31, 2025, IDU returned 10.16% a year, versus 14.29% for the Russell 3000 Index. Over five years the figures were 9.56% versus 13.15%. In 2025 alone, IDU gained 15.27% against 17.15% for the Russell 3000. Its worst quarter in that period was the first quarter of 2020, when it lost 14.22%.