The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (IWP) and the iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) are both among the Top 100 ETFs. IWP is a iShares Mid-Cap Growth fund and GOVT is a iShares Intermediate Government fund. So, what’s the difference between IWP and GOVT? And which fund is better?
The expense ratio of IWP is 0.19 percentage points higher than GOVT’s (0.24% vs. 0.05%). IWP also has a high exposure to the technology sector while GOVT is mostly comprised of AAA bonds. Overall, IWP has provided higher returns than GOVT over the past 8 years.
In this article, we’ll compare IWP vs. GOVT. We’ll look at holdings and fund composition, as well as at their performance and portfolio growth. Moreover, I’ll also discuss IWP’s and GOVT’s annual returns, industry exposure, and risk metrics and examine how these affect their overall returns.
FYI: Another great way to get exposure to the real estate sector is by investing in real estate debt. Groundfloor offers fantastic short-term, high-yield bonds that can add diversification to your portfolio!
Summary
| IWP | GOVT | |
| Name | iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF | iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF |
| Category | Mid-Cap Growth | Intermediate Government |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| AUM | 15.7B | 17.07B |
| Avg. Return | 16.75% | 2.67% |
| Div. Yield | 0.26% | 1.0% |
| Expense Ratio | 0.24% | 0.05% |
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (IWP) is a Mid-Cap Growth fund that is issued by iShares. It currently has 15.7B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 16.75% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 0.26% with an expense ratio of 0.24%.
The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) is a Intermediate Government fund that is issued by iShares. It currently has 17.07B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 2.67% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 1.0% with an expense ratio of 0.05%.
IWP’s dividend yield is 0.74% lower than that of GOVT (0.26% vs. 1.0%). Also, IWP yielded on average 14.08% more per year over the past decade (16.75% vs. 2.67%). The expense ratio of IWP is 0.19 percentage points higher than GOVT’s (0.24% vs. 0.05%).
FYI: The best way I've found to invest is through M1 Finance. It's free and you even get an instant line of credit and 100$! Have a look here (link to M1 Finance).
Fund Composition
Holdings
| IWP Holdings | Weight |
| IDEXX Laboratories Inc | 1.3% |
| DocuSign Inc | 1.3% |
| Roku Inc Class A | 1.29% |
| Match Group Inc | 1.06% |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 1.06% |
| Pinterest Inc | 1.05% |
| Veeva Systems Inc Class A | 1.04% |
| Palantir Technologies Inc Ordinary Shares – Class A | 1.04% |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | 1.01% |
| DexCom Inc | 1.0% |
IWP’s Top Holdings are IDEXX Laboratories Inc, DocuSign Inc, Roku Inc Class A, Match Group Inc, and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc at 1.3%, 1.3%, 1.29%, 1.06%, and 1.06%.
Pinterest Inc (1.05%), Veeva Systems Inc Class A (1.04%), and Palantir Technologies Inc Ordinary Shares – Class A (1.04%) have a slightly smaller but still significant weight. Lululemon Athletica Inc and DexCom Inc are also represented in the IWP’s holdings at 1.01% and 1.0%.
| GOVT Bond Sectors | Weight |
| AAA | 100.0% |
| Others | 0.0% |
| Below B | 0.0% |
| B | 0.0% |
| BB | 0.0% |
| BBB | 0.0% |
| A | 0.0% |
| AA | 0.0% |
| US Government | 0.0% |
GOVT’s Top Bond Sectors are ratings of AAA, Others, Below B, B, and BB at 100.0%, 0.0%, 0.0%, 0.0%, and 0.0%. The fund is less weighted towards BBB (0.0%), A (0.0%), and AA (0.0%) rated bonds.
Risk Analysis
| IWP | GOVT | |
| Mean Return | 1.27 | 0 |
| R-squared | 87.01 | 0 |
| Std. Deviation | 16.05 | 0 |
| Alpha | -1.03 | 0 |
| Beta | 1.1 | 0 |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.91 | 0 |
| Treynor Ratio | 12.98 | 0 |
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (IWP) has a Standard Deviation of 16.05 with a Beta of 1.1 and a Mean Return of 1.27. Its Sharpe Ratio is 0.91 while IWP’s Alpha is -1.03. Furthermore, the fund has a R-squared of 87.01 and a Treynor Ratio of 12.98.
The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) has a Alpha of 0 with a Sharpe Ratio of 0 and a Treynor Ratio of 0. Its Mean Return is 0 while GOVT’s R-squared is 0. Furthermore, the fund has a Standard Deviation of 0 and a Beta of 0.
IWP’s Mean Return is 1.27 points higher than that of GOVT and its R-squared is 87.01 points higher. With a Standard Deviation of 16.05, IWP is slightly more volatile than GOVT. The Alpha and Beta of IWP are 1.03 points lower and 1.10 points higher than GOVT’s Alpha and Beta.
NOTE: The easiest way to add diversification to your portfolio is to invest in real estate through Fundrise. You can become private real estate investor without the burden of property management! Check it out here (link to Fundrise).
Performance
Annual Returns
| Year | IWP | GOVT |
| 2020 | 35.29% | 7.92% |
| 2019 | 35.14% | 6.71% |
| 2018 | -4.95% | 0.74% |
| 2017 | 24.98% | 2.19% |
| 2016 | 7.15% | 0.92% |
| 2015 | -0.39% | 0.76% |
| 2014 | 11.68% | 4.99% |
| 2013 | 35.44% | -2.84% |
| 2012 | 15.62% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | -1.82% | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 26.1% | 0.0% |
IWP had its best year in 2013 with an annual return of 35.44%. IWP’s worst year over the past decade yielded -4.95% and occurred in 2018. In most years the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF provided moderate returns such as in 2014, 2012, and 2017 where annual returns amounted to 11.68%, 15.62%, and 24.98% respectively.
The year 2020 was the strongest year for GOVT, returning 7.92% on an annual basis. The poorest year for GOVT in the last ten years was 2013, with a yield of -2.84%. Most years the iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF has given investors modest returns, such as in 2018, 2015, and 2016, when gains were 0.74%, 0.76%, and 0.92% respectively.
Portfolio Growth
| Fund | Initial Balance | Final Balance | CAGR |
| IWP | $10,000 | $35,063 | 16.75% |
| GOVT | $10,000 | $12,297 | 2.67% |
A $10,000 investment in IWP would have resulted in a final balance of $35,063. This is a profit of $25,063 over 8 years and amounts to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.75%.
With a $10,000 investment in GOVT, the end total would have been $12,297. This equates to a $2,297 profit over 8 years and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.67%.
IWP’s CAGR is 14.08 percentage points higher than that of GOVT and as a result, would have yielded $22,766 more on a $10,000 investment. Thus, IWP outperformed GOVT by 14.08% annually.
Current recommendations:
Over the past years, I have discovered several tools and products that have helped me tremendously on my path to financial freedom:
P.S.: The links below are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you when you sign up for one of the services. Thank you for your support!
1)Personal Capital is simply the best tool out there to track your net worth and plan for financial freedom. Just their retirement planner alone has become an invaluable tool to keep myself on track financially. Try it out, it's free!
2) Take a look at M1 Finance, my favorite broker. I love how easy it is to invest and maintain my portfolio with them. I can set up automatic transfers, rebalance my portfolio with one click and even borrow up to 35% of my assets at super low interest rates!
3) Fundrise is by far the best way I've found to invest in Real Estate. You can diversify your portfolio by investing in their eREITs or even allocate capital to individual properties (without the hassle of managing tenants!).
4) Groundfloor is another great way to get exposure to the real estate sector by investing in short-term, high-yield real estate debt. Current returns are >10% and you can get started with just $10.
5) If you are interested in startup investing, check out Mainvest. I've started allocating a small amount of assets to invest in and support small businesses. Return targets are between 10-25% and you can start with just $100!
To see all of my most up-to-date recommendations, check out the Recommended Tools section.
I believe that money is just a means to an end: to be free to spend your time as you wish, to maximize your positive impact on the world.
