The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) and the iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) are both among the Top 100 ETFs. IWR is a iShares Mid-Cap Blend fund and IEF is a iShares Long Government fund. So, what’s the difference between IWR and IEF? And which fund is better?
The expense ratio of IWR is 0.04 percentage points higher than IEF’s (0.19% vs. 0.15%). IWR also has a high exposure to the technology sector while IEF is mostly comprised of AAA bonds. Overall, IWR has provided higher returns than IEF over the past ten years.
In this article, we’ll compare IWR vs. IEF. We’ll look at risk metrics and portfolio growth, as well as at their annual returns and holdings. Moreover, I’ll also discuss IWR’s and IEF’s fund composition, industry exposure, and performance and examine how these affect their overall returns.
Summary
| IWR | IEF | |
| Name | iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF | iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF |
| Category | Mid-Cap Blend | Long Government |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| AUM | 29.84B | 13.44B |
| Avg. Return | 14.15% | 5.06% |
| Div. Yield | 0.99% | 0.84% |
| Expense Ratio | 0.19% | 0.15% |
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) is a Mid-Cap Blend fund that is issued by iShares. It currently has 29.84B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 14.15% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 0.99% with an expense ratio of 0.19%.
The iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) is a Long Government fund that is issued by iShares. It currently has 13.44B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 5.06% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 0.84% with an expense ratio of 0.15%.
IWR’s dividend yield is 0.15% higher than that of IEF (0.99% vs. 0.84%). Also, IWR yielded on average 9.09% more per year over the past decade (14.15% vs. 5.06%). The expense ratio of IWR is 0.04 percentage points higher than IEF’s (0.19% vs. 0.15%).
Fund Composition
Holdings
| IWR Holdings | Weight |
| IDEXX Laboratories Inc | 0.51% |
| DocuSign Inc | 0.51% |
| Twitter Inc | 0.48% |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 0.47% |
| Roku Inc Class A | 0.44% |
| Marvell Technology Inc | 0.44% |
| DexCom Inc | 0.44% |
| Trane Technologies PLC | 0.43% |
| MSCI Inc | 0.43% |
| Carrier Global Corp Ordinary Shares | 0.43% |
IWR’s Top Holdings are IDEXX Laboratories Inc, DocuSign Inc, Twitter Inc, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, and Roku Inc Class A at 0.51%, 0.51%, 0.48%, 0.47%, and 0.44%.
Marvell Technology Inc (0.44%), DexCom Inc (0.44%), and Trane Technologies PLC (0.43%) have a slightly smaller but still significant weight. MSCI Inc and Carrier Global Corp Ordinary Shares are also represented in the IWR’s holdings at 0.43% and 0.43%.
| IEF 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% |
IEF’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
| IWR | IEF | |
| Mean Return | 1.17 | 0.32 |
| R-squared | 91.52 | 77.56 |
| Std. Deviation | 15.66 | 5.42 |
| Alpha | -2.8 | -1.2 |
| Beta | 1.11 | 1.59 |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.86 | 0.6 |
| Treynor Ratio | 11.72 | 1.97 |
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) has a R-squared of 91.52 with a Treynor Ratio of 11.72 and a Mean Return of 1.17. Its Alpha is -2.8 while IWR’s Beta is 1.11. Furthermore, the fund has a Sharpe Ratio of 0.86 and a Standard Deviation of 15.66.
The iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) has a R-squared of 77.56 with a Treynor Ratio of 1.97 and a Alpha of -1.2. Its Mean Return is 0.32 while IEF’s Sharpe Ratio is 0.6. Furthermore, the fund has a Beta of 1.59 and a Standard Deviation of 5.42.
IWR’s Mean Return is 0.85 points higher than that of IEF and its R-squared is 13.96 points higher. With a Standard Deviation of 15.66, IWR is slightly more volatile than IEF. The Alpha and Beta of IWR are 1.60 points lower and 0.48 points lower than IEF’s Alpha and Beta.
Performance
Annual Returns
| Year | IWR | IEF |
| 2020 | 16.91% | 9.84% |
| 2019 | 30.31% | 8.38% |
| 2018 | -9.13% | 0.82% |
| 2017 | 18.32% | 2.47% |
| 2016 | 13.58% | 1.0% |
| 2015 | -2.57% | 1.55% |
| 2014 | 13.03% | 8.92% |
| 2013 | 34.5% | -6.12% |
| 2012 | 17.13% | 4.06% |
| 2011 | -1.67% | 15.46% |
| 2010 | 25.25% | 9.29% |
IWR had its best year in 2013 with an annual return of 34.5%. IWR’s worst year over the past decade yielded -9.13% and occurred in 2018. In most years the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF provided moderate returns such as in 2016, 2020, and 2012 where annual returns amounted to 13.58%, 16.91%, and 17.13% respectively.
The year 2011 was the strongest year for IEF, returning 15.46% on an annual basis. The poorest year for IEF in the last ten years was 2013, with a yield of -6.12%. Most years the iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF has given investors modest returns, such as in 2017, 2012, and 2019, when gains were 2.47%, 4.06%, and 8.38% respectively.
Portfolio Growth
| Fund | Initial Balance | Final Balance | CAGR |
| IWR | $10,000 | $39,751 | 14.15% |
| IEF | $10,000 | $16,936 | 5.06% |
A $10,000 investment in IWR would have resulted in a final balance of $39,751. This is a profit of $29,751 over 11 years and amounts to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.15%.
With a $10,000 investment in IEF, the end total would have been $16,936. This equates to a $6,936 profit over 11 years and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.06%.
IWR’s CAGR is 9.09 percentage points higher than that of IEF and as a result, would have yielded $22,815 more on a $10,000 investment. Thus, IWR outperformed IEF by 9.09% annually.
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