IWM vs VB: 25% overlap

iShares Russell 2000 ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap ETF share 25.2% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Hold both, 50/50
1.7Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.7. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
25.2%
IWM expense ratio
0.19%
VB expense ratio
0.03%

Top shared holdings

IWM and VB hold 682 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin IWMin VBΔ
CASH0.2%1.7%1.6%
MOG-A0.4%0.1%0.2%
HUT0.4%0.1%0.2%
VSAT0.3%0.1%0.2%
CYTK0.3%0.1%0.2%
BTSG0.4%0.1%0.2%
MXL0.3%0.1%0.1%
AGX0.3%0.1%0.1%
KRYS0.3%0.1%0.1%
UMBF0.3%0.1%0.2%

Where IWM and VB differ

Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.

SectorIWMVBΔ
Health Care19.9%11.9%+7.9pp
Industrials14.7%21.0%6.3pp
Financials19.0%12.7%+6.3pp
Information Technology12.8%16.1%3.3pp
Energy6.1%3.7%+2.4pp
Cash and/or Derivatives0.2%1.7%1.6pp
Consumer Staples2.2%3.5%1.3pp
Real Estate5.9%7.1%1.2pp

Δ is IWM minus VB, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.

What each fund holds alone

Only in IWM
1,284 positions

31.1% of IWM by weight, held in no part of VB.

Only in VB
626 positions

73.2% of VB by weight, held in no part of IWM.

A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.

Concentration and cost

IWMVB
Top 10 holdings3.3%5.6%
Positions held1,9671,308
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$19$3

Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.

Frequently asked

How much do IWM and VB overlap?

IWM and VB overlap 25.2% by portfolio weight — moderate overlap. They share 682 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (IWM as of 2026-07-23, VB as of 2026-06-30).

How is the overlap between IWM and VB calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If IWM holds a stock at 6% and VB holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.

Is it redundant to hold both IWM and VB?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 25.2% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does IWM own that VB doesn't?

IWM holds 1,967 positions and VB holds 1,308; 1,284 of IWM's positions don't appear in VB at all, and they are 31.1% of IWM by weight.

You probably hold more than two funds

This page compares IWM and VB. Paste your whole portfolio — brokerage, 401(k), IRA — and see the overlap across every fund at once, plus what you actually own underneath them and your own Effective Funds number. Free, no account, nothing stored.

X-ray my portfolio — free →

Watch IWM vs VB

We re-read both funds’ published holdings every weeknight. Leave an address and we'll tell you when what's inside actually changes.

Not sending yet — email alerts are built but switched off, and you'll be among the first when they turn on. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.

Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, IWM as of 2026-07-23, VB as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.