Skip to content

IXUS vs. IWS: What’s The Difference?

The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) and the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) are both among the Top 100 ETFs. IXUS is a iShares Foreign Large Blend fund and IWS is a iShares Mid-Cap Value fund. So, what’s the difference between IXUS and IWS? And which fund is better?

The expense ratio of IXUS is 0.14 percentage points lower than IWS’s (0.09% vs. 0.23%). IXUS also has a higher exposure to the financial services sector and a lower standard deviation. Overall, IXUS has provided lower returns than IWS over the past ten years.

In this article, we’ll compare IXUS vs. IWS. We’ll look at risk metrics and industry exposure, as well as at their annual returns and fund composition. Moreover, I’ll also discuss IXUS’s and IWS’s performance, holdings, and portfolio growth and examine how these affect their overall returns.

Summary

IXUSIWS
NameiShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETFiShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF
CategoryForeign Large BlendMid-Cap Value
IssueriSharesiShares
AUM29.54B14.24B
Avg. Return6.09%12.35%
Div. Yield2.13%1.34%
Expense Ratio0.09%0.23%

The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) is a Foreign Large Blend fund that is issued by iShares. It currently has 29.54B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 6.09% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 2.13% with an expense ratio of 0.09%.

The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) is a Mid-Cap Value fund that is issued by iShares. It currently has 14.24B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 12.35% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 1.34% with an expense ratio of 0.23%.

IXUS’s dividend yield is 0.79% higher than that of IWS (2.13% vs. 1.34%). Also, IXUS yielded on average 6.26% less per year over the past decade (6.09% vs. 12.35%). The expense ratio of IXUS is 0.14 percentage points lower than IWS’s (0.09% vs. 0.23%).

Fund Composition

Industry Exposure

IXUS vs. IWS - Industry Exposure

IXUSIWS
Technology13.24%11.39%
Industrials12.78%14.6%
Energy4.39%4.71%
Communication Services7.09%4.08%
Utilities2.95%6.97%
Healthcare9.29%8.56%
Consumer Defensive8.19%4.76%
Real Estate3.66%11.71%
Financial Services17.34%15.75%
Consumer Cyclical12.57%12.07%
Basic Materials8.5%5.4%

The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) has the most exposure to the Financial Services sector at 17.34%. This is followed by Technology and Industrials at 13.24% and 12.78% respectively. Real Estate (3.66%), Energy (4.39%), and Communication Services (7.09%) only make up 15.14% of the fund’s total assets.

IXUS’s mid-section with moderate exposure is comprised of Consumer Defensive, Basic Materials, Healthcare, Consumer Cyclical, and Industrials stocks at 8.19%, 8.5%, 9.29%, 12.57%, and 12.78%.

The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) has the most exposure to the Financial Services sector at 15.75%. This is followed by Industrials and Consumer Cyclical at 14.6% and 12.07% respectively. Energy (4.71%), Consumer Defensive (4.76%), and Basic Materials (5.4%) only make up 14.87% of the fund’s total assets.

IWS’s mid-section with moderate exposure is comprised of Utilities, Healthcare, Technology, Real Estate, and Consumer Cyclical stocks at 6.97%, 8.56%, 11.39%, 11.71%, and 12.07%.

IXUS is 1.59% more exposed to the Financial Services sector than IWS (17.34% vs 15.75%). IXUS’s exposure to Technology and Industrials stocks is 1.85% higher and 1.82% lower respectively (13.24% vs. 11.39% and 12.78% vs. 14.6%). In total, Real Estate, Energy, and Communication Services also make up 5.36% less of the fund’s holdings compared to IWS (15.14% vs. 20.50%).

Holdings

IXUS - Holdings

IXUS HoldingsWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd1.64%
Tencent Holdings Ltd1.35%
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Ordinary Shares1.34%
Nestle SA1.1%
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd1.06%
ASML Holding NV0.9%
Roche Holding AG0.81%
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE0.67%
Novartis AG0.62%
Toyota Motor Corp0.59%

IXUS’s Top Holdings are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, Tencent Holdings Ltd, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Ordinary Shares, Nestle SA, and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd at 1.64%, 1.35%, 1.34%, 1.1%, and 1.06%.

ASML Holding NV (0.9%), Roche Holding AG (0.81%), and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (0.67%) have a slightly smaller but still significant weight. Novartis AG and Toyota Motor Corp are also represented in the IXUS’s holdings at 0.62% and 0.59%.

IWS - Holdings

IWS HoldingsWeight
Twitter Inc0.69%
Marvell Technology Inc0.69%
IHS Markit Ltd0.62%
Prudential Financial Inc0.56%
Otis Worldwide Corp Ordinary Shares0.54%
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc0.53%
Xcel Energy Inc0.52%
Motorola Solutions Inc0.52%
Aptiv PLC0.52%
Aflac Inc0.52%

IWS’s Top Holdings are Twitter Inc, Marvell Technology Inc, IHS Markit Ltd, Prudential Financial Inc, and Otis Worldwide Corp Ordinary Shares at 0.69%, 0.69%, 0.62%, 0.56%, and 0.54%.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (0.53%), Xcel Energy Inc (0.52%), and Motorola Solutions Inc (0.52%) have a slightly smaller but still significant weight. Aptiv PLC and Aflac Inc are also represented in the IWS’s holdings at 0.52% and 0.52%.

Risk Analysis

IXUSIWS
Mean Return01.06
R-squared087.04
Std. Deviation016.03
Alpha0-4.11
Beta01.1
Sharpe Ratio00.75
Treynor Ratio010.3

The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) has a R-squared of 0 with a Alpha of 0 and a Mean Return of 0. Its Beta is 0 while IXUS’s Treynor Ratio is 0. Furthermore, the fund has a Sharpe Ratio of 0 and a Standard Deviation of 0.

The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) has a Alpha of -4.11 with a Treynor Ratio of 10.3 and a R-squared of 87.04. Its Standard Deviation is 16.03 while IWS’s Sharpe Ratio is 0.75. Furthermore, the fund has a Beta of 1.1 and a Mean Return of 1.06.

IXUS’s Mean Return is 1.06 points lower than that of IWS and its R-squared is 87.04 points lower. With a Standard Deviation of 0, IXUS is slightly less volatile than IWS. The Alpha and Beta of IXUS are 4.11 points higher and 1.10 points lower than IWS’s Alpha and Beta.

Performance

Annual Returns

IXUS vs. IWS - Annual Returns

YearIXUSIWS
202011.14%4.76%
201921.85%26.78%
2018-14.55%-12.36%
201728.08%13.1%
20164.66%19.69%
2015-4.62%-4.93%
2014-3.96%14.49%
201315.85%33.11%
20120.0%18.27%
20110.0%-1.55%
20100.0%24.46%

IXUS had its best year in 2017 with an annual return of 28.08%. IXUS’s worst year over the past decade yielded -14.55% and occurred in 2018. In most years the iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF provided moderate returns such as in 2011, 2010, and 2016 where annual returns amounted to 0.0%, 0.0%, and 4.66% respectively.

The year 2013 was the strongest year for IWS, returning 33.11% on an annual basis. The poorest year for IWS in the last ten years was 2018, with a yield of -12.36%. Most years the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has given investors modest returns, such as in 2017, 2014, and 2012, when gains were 13.1%, 14.49%, and 18.27% respectively.

Portfolio Growth

IXUS vs. IWS - Portfolio Growth

FundInitial BalanceFinal BalanceCAGR
IXUS$10,000$14,2096.09%
IWS$10,000$17,15012.35%

A $10,000 investment in IXUS would have resulted in a final balance of $14,209. This is a profit of $4,209 over 7 years and amounts to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.09%.

With a $10,000 investment in IWS, the end total would have been $17,150. This equates to a $7,150 profit over 7 years and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.35%.

IXUS’s CAGR is 6.26 percentage points lower than that of IWS and as a result, would have yielded $2,941 less on a $10,000 investment. Thus, IXUS performed worse than IWS by 6.26% 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.

Marvin Allen

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *