IShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF effectively combines a broadly diversified portfolio of U.S. mid-cap stocks with low turnover and a low price, providing it with a durable edge over peers. 

The fund replicates the Russell Midcap Index, which assembles an 800-stock portfolio that reflects the mid-cap equity market composition. It weights eligible stocks by their market cap and implements buffers prioritizing current constituents to limit unnecessary turnover. Market-cap weighting is a sensible approach here. It harnesses the market’s collective view on the relative value of each holding with the added benefit of low turnover and associated trading costs.

Mid-cap stocks can take a variety of shapes. Some are companies with established business models and sound financials but are not industry leaders. Others are smaller firms whose growth prospects come with volatile performance.

The fund diversifies risk effectively and tames concentration. Assets in the top 10 holdings constituted only 4.7% of the portfolio, 11 percentage points lower than the average mid-cap blend fund. In addition, its style and sector allocations accurately mimic its average peer in the mid-blend Morningstar Category. No sector allocation deviated by more than 3 percentage points from the average peer at the end of June 2023. These qualities emphasize the fund’s cost advantage in driving category-relative performance.  

The fund’s 0.19% annual fee gives it a durable performance edge over category peers. Since its inception in August 2001, the fund has outperformed the category average by 1.57 percentage points annualized.

Analyst Rating

Well-diversified mid-cap exposure

Associate Analyst

Mo'ath Almahasneh

Amphenol

Trane Technologies plc

Constellation Energy Corp

TransDigm

CrowdStrike

Parker-Hannifin

Marvell Technology

Apollo Global Management

Phillips 66

The Russell Midcap Index constructs a broadly diversified, low-turnover portfolio that accurately represents the mid-cap market. It warrants a High Process rating.

High

Process

BlackRock’s industry-leading technology, global footprint, and extensive supporting cast earn an Above Average People Pillar rating.

The team employs BlackRock's Aladdin platform to fulfill much of its portfolio management tasks, and global trading desks allow traders to conduct foreign transactions in a cost-effective way.

The U.S.-based iShares index equity team has endured some internal turnover at the top over the past few years. But index-tracking performance should remain tight, thanks to heavily automated processes, a large team of seasoned professionals, and several long-tenured managers who remain at the helm. Amy Whitelaw left the team in February 2023 for another role within the organization. Paul Whitehead replaced Alan Mason as a manager in January 2022, when Mason left to focus on the firm's customized institutional indexing capabilities. The broader index equity group, co-headed by Jennifer Hsui and Paul Whitehead, will continue to oversee iShares equity ETFs.

All managers interact with a wider team of traders and managers around the globe to execute the funds’ day-to-day operations. The larger number of managers also limits the impact of personnel turnover when it does occur.

Above Average

People

BlackRock offers compelling options across asset classes and vehicles. It earns an Above Average rating for Parent. 
The firm’s approximately USD 8 trillion in assets under management, as of Sept. 30, 2022, gives it unparalleled scale and influence. It is a market-leading index fund provider globally, and its iShares exchange-traded fund franchise offers a low-cost lineup of core funds that investors can use to build a well-diversified portfolio for dirt cheap. The firm can be more adventurous in its ETF launches than some peers, so not everything it launches is appropriate for the masses. As a result, it is likely to have more ETF closures than peers that stick to the basic building blocks.  
The firm’s active fixed-income and multi-asset efforts also stand out as some of the best in the industry. Those benefit from BlackRock’s commitment to building a first-class risk management system via its Aladdin analytics software. The software is also available for sale to other firms and has proved to be a popular option for competitors, a testament to its usefulness. 
More recently, the firm has shifted its focus to ESG offerings and incorporating ESG across its investment lineup, leading to a political backlash in the United States.
BlackRock isn’t the best at everything it tries to do, but retail investors, financial advisors, and large institutions could all build robust portfolios using BlackRock’s products.

Parent

iShares Russell Midcap ETF

IWR tracks a market-cap-weighted index of the 800-smallest companies in the Russell 1000.

Looking for broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/17/2001.

Should iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?

ARK Innovation ETF

Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF

Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF

Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF

iShares Micro-Cap ETF

iShares Russell 2000 ETF

iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF

iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF

iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF

Invesco QQQ

Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF

SPDR Portfolio Mid Cap ETF

Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF

Invesco S&P 500 Minimum Variance ETF

SPDR Portfolio Small Cap ETF

SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF

Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2x Shares

Invesco S&P 500 Value with Momentum ETF

Invesco S&P 500 Enhanced Value ETF

The Federal Reserve kept rates steady and maintained a hawkish stance toward inflation while acknowledging an outstanding economy and progress in vanquishing inflationary pressure. Expectations for rate cuts in March were dampened by a change in statement language and Powell's comments in the press conference.

January FOMC Meeting Review: The 'Fed-Amental' Attribution Error

The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF could be a new cycle leader as large-cap outperformance may be ending. The ETF offers exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies with a balanced portfolio and significant diversification. Investing in the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF provides an opportunity to bet on the growth potential of the mid-cap sector.

IWR: A Potential New Cycle Leader

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF

SPDR S&P Midcap 400 ETF Trust

Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF

Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF

It's been an impressive 2023 for U.S. large-cap equities. The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) had risen 19% as of July 24, with consumer discretionary and information technology stocks leading the way.

Chart of the Week: Mid-Cap ETFs in Focus

Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF

Mid-cap investing can be a strong option in volatile stock markets, offering a unique balance between growth and stability, diversification benefits, and potential for undervalued opportunities.

Here's Why You Should Buy Mid-Cap ETFs

While large companies are normally known for stability and the smaller ones for growth, mid caps offer the best of both worlds, simultaneously allowing growth and stability in a portfolio.

Time to Buy Mid-Cap ETFs

Should iShares Russell MidCap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Mid-cap stocks have been performing well, partly due to favorable governmental policies, strong valuations, and broader economic recovery.

Mid-Cap Stocks Rebound to Start Second Quarter

The SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust invests based on the S&P MidCap 400® Index.

MDY Vs. IWR: The Index Followed Makes A Difference

Vanguard Small-Cap ETF

Vanguard Extended Market ETF

Q.ai's deep learning algorithms have identified several top US SMID Cap Smart Beta ETFs based on fund flows. Diversify your portfolio with these.

IShares Russell 2000 ETF And Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF Ranked Top Smart Beta ETFs

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

These midtier stocks hardly grab headlines, but they’re where a lot of the action is.

Midcap ETFs’ Overlooked Strength

For the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR), we found that the implied analyst target price for the ETF based upon its underlying holdings is $65.50 per unit.

Look Under The Hood: The IShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Has 14% Upside

For the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF, we found that the implied analyst target price for the ETF based upon its underlying holdings is $61.83 per unit.

Implied iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Analyst Target Price: $62

For the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF, we found that the implied analyst target price for the ETF based upon its underlying holdings is $60.60 per unit.

The Math Shows The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Can Go To $61

For the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF, we found that the implied analyst target price for the ETF based upon its underlying holdings is $60.77 per unit.

The Implied iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Analyst Target Price: $61

For the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF, we found that the implied analyst target price for the ETF based upon its underlying holdings is $60.69 per unit.

News for iShares Russell Midcap ETF ETF (IWR)