3 Key Differences Between the Vanguard and iShares Small-Cap ETFs
2026-06-05 07:48:25 ET
Small-cap stocks often provide a growth engine for diversified portfolios, capturing companies before they reach mid-cap status. Both the Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:VB) and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:IJR) are heavyweights in this space, yet they use different indexing strategies to define smallness and select their constituents for long-term exposure. VB offers a lower expense ratio and broader diversification, while IJR provides more concentrated exposure to higher-quality small caps.
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.
VB is the more affordable option with an expense ratio of 0.03%, which is half the cost of IJR. The Vanguard fund also provides a slightly higher trailing-12-month dividend yield of 1.2% compared to 1.16% for its iShares counterpart.
NASDAQ: IJR
IJR Trading
-0.97% G/L:
$138.64 Last:
1,765,944 Volume:
$139.61 Open:
