IWM vs VEA Overlap

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. IWM and VEA show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 0.08%. They share 10 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by BIPC.TO, SSRM.TO, and EFR.TO.

0.1% overlap
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10Shared Holdings
OK
Low Overlap

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Quick Answer

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. IWM and VEA show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 0.08%. They share 10 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by BIPC.TO, SSRM.TO, and EFR.TO.

  • 0.08% weighted overlap across 10 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 56.25% of the measured overlap.
  • IWM and VEA are closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche ETF pair.
  • The overlap is mostly explained by the top shared positions rather than sector labels alone.
  • Holding both can still add materially different exposure.

Data Freshness

IWM holdings
Mar 12, 2026
VEA holdings
Mar 12, 2026
Overlap computed
Mar 15, 2026
Data source
Financial Modeling Prep

Review the methodology for the overlap formula and refresh policy.

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About These ETFs

ETF A

IWM

iShares Russell 2000 ETF

Issuer
IShares
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.19%
AUM
$70B
Inception
May 22, 2000

ETF B

VEA

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

Issuer
Vanguard
Asset class
International Equity
Expense ratio
0.03%
AUM
$287B
Inception
Jul 20, 2007

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. IWM and VEA do not own much of the same portfolio weight. That usually means you are combining different parts of the market, with only a small amount of duplication through names like BIPC.TO, SSRM.TO, and EFR.TO.

02

How They Differ

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. Neither fund clearly dominates on breadth, so the practical difference is more about weighting, index construction, and cost. VEA has the lower expense ratio, while IWM charges more for its exposure.

03

What Drives The Overlap

The overlap is driven by a relatively small set of large shared positions. The top three shared holdings account for 56.25% of the score, which means the result is heavily influenced by the biggest common weights rather than a long tail of tiny positions.

04

When One May Fit Better

Because IWM and VEA are closer in breadth, the better fit usually comes down to index methodology, issuer preference, and cost. VEA has the lower expense ratio, while IWM charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 56.25% of the full overlap score.

That helps show whether the score comes from a handful of giant shared positions or from a broader mix of common holdings.

Shared Sector Tilt

Sector tags are not consistently available for the biggest shared positions in this dataset, so this comparison leans more on the specific holdings than on sector labels.

Top Shared Holdings

These are the holdings contributing the most to the overlap score between IWM and VEA.

HoldingIWM Wt.VEA Wt.Overlap
BIPC.TO0.19%0.02%0.02%
SSRM.TO0.21%0.01%0.01%
EFR.TO0.16%0.01%0.01%
NG.TO0.13%0.01%0.01%
SATS0.50%0.01%0.01%
CD0.01%0.01%0.01%
PPTA.TO0.09%0.01%0.01%
CLAR0.00%0.03%0.00%
BBUC.TO0.03%0.00%0.00%
SEM0.06%0.00%0.00%

Why These ETFs Overlap

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. The overlap exists because both funds allocate meaningful weight to the same holdings. In this dataset, the biggest shared drivers are BIPC.TO, SSRM.TO, and EFR.TO, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.

Holding both IWM and VEA can make sense if you want exposure to different sleeves of the market. The overlap is small enough that both funds may still improve diversification.

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions About IWM and VEA

What is the overlap between IWM and VEA?+
IWM and VEA currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 0.08% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do IWM and VEA share?+
They share 10 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the IWM and VEA overlap high?+
The current verdict is Low Overlap. That means the two ETFs have limited duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do IWM and VEA overlap?+
IWM and VEA overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 56.25% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, IWM or VEA?+
IWM and VEA look closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche pair, so the main difference is more about strategy and weighting than simple market coverage.

How Overlap Is Calculated

A straightforward approach used by portfolio analysts.

Overlap = sum(min(Weight_A, Weight_B)) for each shared holding

For every stock that appears in both ETFs, we take the smaller of the two weights. Adding up all those minimums gives the total overlap percentage. A score of 100% means the two ETFs hold the exact same stocks in the same proportions.

Want the full explanation? Read the methodology page.

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