At a glance
IWF charges 0.18% a year, above the 0.09% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 9). It has $128.90B in assets, the 2nd largest of that group; it paid 0.63% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned −3.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the weakest of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +20.3% a year. At its worst it fell 31.5% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 31.9% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 14 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 54.3% of the fund, out of 368 in all.
The short version
The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is a BlackRock index fund that holds large and midsize US companies with strong growth traits, as chosen by the Russell 1000 Growth Index. It leans heavily on technology: NVIDIA alone was 13.8% of the fund, and the top 10 holdings were 54%, as of June 30, 2026. Its 0.18% yearly fee is higher than most similar funds, including Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) at 0.07%.
Price history
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IWF -3.7% over the year to Nov 2, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWF official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +18.34% | — | +15.13% | +17.92% | — |
| Russell 3000 Index index, same period | — | +17.15% | — | +13.15% | +14.29% | — |
| IWF price data to Nov 2, 2026 | -1.3% | -3.7% | +20.3% | +9.9% | +17.5% | +12.2% |
- Over the year to Nov 2, 2026, IWF returned -3.7%, 9th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +9.9% and its 10-year +17.5%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 31.5% and regained its old high 2.5 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-38.2%); its best was 2023 (+42.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 51.3% (Oct 31, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009), recovered by Feb 11, 2011.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -1.3% | — |
| 2025 | +18.3% | +18.34% |
| 2024 | +33.1% | +33.11% |
| 2023 | +42.4% | +42.49% |
| 2022 | -29.3% | -29.26% |
| 2021 | +27.4% | +27.37% |
| 2020 | +38.3% | +38.21% |
| 2019 | +35.9% | +36.08% |
| 2018 | -1.7% | -1.68% |
| 2017 | +29.9% | +29.96% |
| 2016 | +7.0% | +6.92% |
| 2015 | +5.5% | — |
| 2014 | +12.8% | — |
| 2013 | +33.1% | — |
| 2012 | +15.2% | — |
| 2011 | +2.3% | — |
| 2010 | +16.5% | — |
| 2009 | +36.7% | — |
| 2008 | -38.2% | — |
| 2007 | +10.9% | — |
| 2006 | +8.1% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 51% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 51.3%, back to its old high 23.1 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 31.5% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 31.5%, back to its old high 2.5 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 31.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 31.9%, back to its old high 14.2 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.6100 | |
| 2025 | $0.4225 | -8.2% |
| 2024 | $0.4600 | +16.5% |
| 2023 | $0.3950 | -18.6% |
| 2022 | $0.4850 | +28.5% |
| 2021 | $0.3775 | -5.0% |
| 2020 | $0.3975 | -9.1% |
| 2019 | $0.4375 | +5.4% |
| 2018 | $0.4150 | +12.9% |
| 2017 | $0.3675 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | $0.3725 | +9.6% |
| 2015 | $0.3400 | +6.3% |
| 2014 | $0.3200 | +16.4% |
| 2013 | $0.2750 | +1.9% |
| 2012 | $0.2700 | +33.3% |
| 2011 | $0.2025 | +11.0% |
| 2010 | $0.1825 | +4.3% |
| 2009 | $0.1750 | +14.8% |
| 2008 | $0.1525 | +150.0% |
| 2007 | $0.0610 | +91.2% |
| 2006 | $0.0319 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 368 securities; the ten largest made up 54.34% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORPORATION | 13.83% | |
| APPLE INC. | 6.72% | |
| ALPHABET INC. Class A | 6.17% | |
| BROADCOM INC. | 5.21% | |
| ALPHABET INC. | 4.98% | |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION | 4.11% | |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. | 3.86% | |
| TESLA, INC. | 3.64% | |
| META PLATFORMS, INC. | 3.00% | |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY | 2.84% | |
| ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC. | 2.80% | |
| APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. | 1.70% | |
| VISA INC. | 1.68% | |
| LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION | 1.60% | |
| CATERPILLAR INC. | 1.43% |
By country
United States 98.27%Ireland 0.45%Cayman Islands 0.42%Luxembourg 0.21%United Kingdom 0.14%By asset type
Stocks 99.87%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 90.2% 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 Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors withdrew a net $1.31B (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +11.88%, +7.19%, -2.71%.
How it works
IWF tracks the Russell 1000 Growth Index from FTSE Russell, part of the London Stock Exchange Group and independent of BlackRock. The index draws from the large and midsize US companies in the Russell 1000 and picks those with higher price-to-book ratios (share price relative to the company's accounting net worth), higher forecast medium-term growth and faster past sales growth per share. As of March 31, 2026, it represented about 66% of the Russell 1000's total market value.
The index is rebalanced quarterly, after the close on the third Friday of March, June, September and December. At each rebalance, no company can exceed 22.5% of the index, and companies above 4.5% each are capped at 45% combined. Even so, the fund is top-heavy: as of June 30, 2026, NVIDIA was 13.8% of the fund and the top 10 holdings were 54%.
BlackRock uses “representative sampling.” It holds a sample of securities chosen to match the index's overall profile, rather than every stock, but keeps at least 80% of net assets in index components. As of June 30, 2026, it had 368 holdings, 0.74% in cash and a tiny futures position. It may lend up to a third of its assets to other firms for a fee, against collateral. It does not try to beat the index or turn defensive when markets fall.
What it really costs
- IWF charges 0.18% a year, versus an average of 0.09% for the similar funds below (7th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $18 in the first year and $230 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWF | $18 | $58 | $101 | $230 |
In a retirement portfolio
IWF holds only growth-oriented large and midsize US companies, with about half in technology and 54% in its top 10 holdings, so it works more as a growth tilt beside broader funds than as a complete stock allocation.
IWF offers large US growth stocks but has fallen hard in downturns. In the 2008 financial crisis it lost 51.3% from October 31, 2007, to March 9, 2009. That was its deepest drop in price data going back to 2005, and it took until February 2011 to recover. It fell 31.5% in the 2020 COVID crash but recovered by June 2020. In the 2022 bear market it lost 31.9% and needed about 14 months after the October 2022 low to recover. Its worst calendar year was 2008, a 38.2% loss. Drawing money from it in a year like that means selling low.
Income is minimal: the yield was 0.6% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. In the SEC's standard $10,000 example, the 0.18% expense ratio comes to $230 over 10 years. 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 with 368 holdings across large and midsize US growth companies, led by NVIDIA, Apple, Alphabet and Broadcom.
- Long-term investors who can hold through deep drops, such as the 51.3% fall in 2007–09, which took until February 2011 to recover.
- Those who value a large, long-running fund: launched in 2000, IWF had $128.9 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.18% expense ratio is above the 0.09% average of similar funds, and VUG, SPYG, IUSG and ILCG charge 0.04%.
- Investors who need income from their stocks: the trailing yield was 0.6% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Anyone wary of concentration: about half the fund was in technology, and NVIDIA alone was 13.8% as of June 30, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWF this fund | — | 0.18% | $128.90B | -3.7% | +20.3% |
| VONG Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF | 93% | 0.07% | $54.28B | -2.3% | +22.4% |
| GGUS Marketbeta Russell 1000 Growth Equity ETF | 91% | 0.12% | $477.6M | +2.2% | — |
| IWY iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF | 89% | 0.2% | $16.96B | -3.4% | +20.7% |
| VUG Vanguard Growth ETF | 78% | 0.04% | $379.29B | +3.8% | +25.1% |
| SPYG SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | 77% | 0.04% | $52.99B | +7.2% | +25.3% |
| IVW iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF | 77% | 0.18% | $74.97B | +7.0% | +25.2% |
| IUSG iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF | 76% | 0.04% | $32.22B | +7.6% | +24.8% |
Questions investors ask
What are IWF's top holdings?
IWF's largest holdings as of June 30, 2026, were NVIDIA at 13.8%, Apple at 6.7%, Alphabet at 6.2% and 5.0% across two share classes, Broadcom at 5.2%, Microsoft at 4.1%, Micron Technology at 3.9%, Tesla at 3.6%, Meta Platforms at 3.0% and Eli Lilly at 2.8%. Those top 10 positions made up 54% of a fund with 368 holdings. About half the portfolio was in technology, with communication services next at 15.5%.
What's the difference between IWF and VONG?
Mainly cost. Both are built around Russell 1000 Growth stocks, but IWF charges 0.18% a year, while Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) charges 0.07%. Their price returns have been close: as of October 27, 2026, IWF returned 1.5% over one year and 24.5% a year over three years, versus 1.3% and 24.5% for VONG. IWF is larger, with $128.9 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026, against $54.8 billion for VONG as of May 31, 2026.
Does IWF pay dividends?
Yes, quarterly, but the payout is small. IWF's trailing 12-month yield was 0.6% as of October 27, 2026, or about $0.73 per share over that period. That is typical of growth stocks, because these companies tend to reinvest profits rather than pay them out. Investors looking for steady cash income would get little from this fund on its own.
Is IWF good for retirement?
It can play a part, more as a growth tilt than as a whole stock allocation. IWF is concentrated, with about half its portfolio in technology, and it has fallen hard in downturns. It lost 51.3% in the 2008 financial crisis and 31.9% in the 2022 bear market, taking about 14 months to recover from the 2022 low. Its 0.6% yield as of October 27, 2026, offers little income. Past results don't predict future ones.
What is IWF's 10-year return?
IWF returned 17.92% a year on average over the 10 years ended December 31, 2025, according to its prospectus, ahead of the broader Russell 3000 Index at 14.29%. Over five years it returned 15.13% a year, and 18.34% in 2025 alone. The path was bumpy: it lost 29.26% in 2022. Results have since cooled, with a 1.5% price return for the year ended October 27, 2026.