Better Growth ETF: Vanguard's MGK vs. iShares' IWO

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Robert Izquierdo, The Motley Fool

Thu, January 1, 2026 astatine 10:03 AM CST 5 min read

  • MGK carries a overmuch little disbursal ratio and holds acold less stocks than IWO.

  • MGK delivered a overmuch stronger five-year instrumentality and shallower drawdown, but its portfolio is heavy tilted toward exertion giants.

  • IWO’s small-cap absorption brings higher volatility and broader assemblage vulnerability compared to MGK’s concentrated mega-cap lineup.

  • These 10 stocks could mint the adjacent question of millionaires ›

The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:IWO) and Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:MGK) disagree sharply connected cost, portfolio concentration, and assemblage tilt, with MGK offering a much affordable way to mega-cap tech exposure, and IWO targeting small-cap maturation crossed a wider acceptable of industries.

Both funds purpose to seizure U.S. maturation stocks, but IWO zeroes successful connected small-cap companies, portion MGK targets the largest maturation names successful the market. This match-up pits diversification and volatility against attraction and efficiency, making the prime highly babelike connected what benignant of maturation vulnerability whitethorn entreaty to an investor’s strategy.

Metric

IWO

MGK

Issuer

IShares

Vanguard

Expense ratio

0.24%

0.07%

1-yr instrumentality (as of 2025-12-18)

12.2%

18.0%

Dividend yield

0.65%

0.37%

Beta

1.40

1.20

AUM

$13.23 billion

$32.68 billion

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

MGK is much affordable than IWO connected fees, with an disbursal ratio that is 0.17 percent points lower. IWO besides pays a somewhat higher dividend yield, but some ETFs connection precise humble payouts.

Metric

IWO

MGK

Max drawdown (5 y)

-42.02%

-36.01%

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$1,128

$2,019

MGK focuses tightly connected conscionable 69 mega-cap stocks, with a striking 71% allocation to exertion and its apical 3 holdings — Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) — collectively making up implicit a 3rd of the fund. This concentrated attack has delivered robust humanities returns, but the portfolio is dominated by the precise largest U.S. maturation companies. The money has an 18-year way grounds and nary antithetic structural quirks.

IWO, by contrast, spreads its bets crossed much than 1,000 small-cap maturation stocks, with assemblage weights of 25% technology, 22% healthcare, and 21% industrials. Its apical holdings — Credo Technology Group Holding (NASDAQ:CRDO), Bloom Energy Class A (NYSE:BE), and Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) — each relationship for conscionable implicit 1% of assets, reflecting a acold little concentrated approach. This broader vulnerability brings higher volatility but whitethorn entreaty to those seeking diversification beyond mega-cap tech.


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