IWM vs VXF Overlap

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VXF is an equity ETF from Vanguard. IWM and VXF show meaningful overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 36.71%. They share 1769 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by BE, CRDO, and FN.

36.7% overlap
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1769Shared Holdings
OK
Moderate Overlap

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Quick Answer

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VXF is an equity ETF from Vanguard. IWM and VXF show meaningful overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 36.71%. They share 1769 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by BE, CRDO, and FN.

  • 36.71% weighted overlap across 1769 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 2.39% of the measured overlap.
  • IWM and VXF 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 may add less diversification than the fund names imply.

Data Freshness

IWM holdings
Mar 12, 2026
VXF 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

VXF

Vanguard Extended Market ETF

Issuer
Vanguard
Asset class
Mid Cap Equity
Expense ratio
0.05%
AUM
$84B
Inception
Dec 27, 2001

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VXF is an equity ETF from Vanguard. IWM and VXF overlap enough to matter, but they still bring different exposures to a portfolio. The overlap is concentrated in holdings such as BE, CRDO, and FN, which explains why the score lands at 36.71%.

02

How They Differ

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VXF is an equity ETF from Vanguard. Neither fund clearly dominates on breadth, so the practical difference is more about weighting, index construction, and cost. VXF 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 2.39% 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 VXF are closer in breadth, the better fit usually comes down to index methodology, issuer preference, and cost. VXF has the lower expense ratio, while IWM charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 2.39% 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 VXF.

HoldingIWM Wt.VXF Wt.Overlap
BE1.14%0.42%0.42%
CRDO0.58%0.24%0.24%
FN0.66%0.22%0.22%
KTOS0.54%0.22%0.22%
NXT0.56%0.22%0.22%
SATS0.50%0.19%0.19%
HL0.47%0.19%0.19%
GH0.37%0.19%0.19%
IONQ0.40%0.18%0.18%
CDE0.50%0.17%0.17%

Why These ETFs Overlap

IWM is an equity ETF from IShares, while VXF 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 BE, CRDO, and FN, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.

Holding both IWM and VXF can still be reasonable, but you should expect some duplication. The decision comes down to whether the non-overlapping parts of each ETF are important enough for your strategy.

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Frequently Asked Questions About IWM and VXF

What is the overlap between IWM and VXF?+
IWM and VXF currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 36.71% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do IWM and VXF share?+
They share 1769 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the IWM and VXF overlap high?+
The current verdict is Moderate Overlap. That means the two ETFs have noticeable duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do IWM and VXF overlap?+
IWM and VXF overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 2.39% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, IWM or VXF?+
IWM and VXF 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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