# How iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/ijh
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on IJH alone. It places IJH (iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where IJH stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: IJH's full trading record, from May 2000 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **What you're buying:** IJH and VO (Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF) have tracked each other (0.97). The larger fund is VO.
- **Right now:** IJH has trailed the market, rising 0.2% over the past 6 months against 9.1% for the S&P 500 and 11.2% for the Nasdaq 100. Its similar funds split over the past 6 months: VOE (Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF) rose 8.2%, while XMMO (Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF) fell 11.3%.
- **Fund or market?:** IJH fell 2.2% over the past 3 months even as the S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its similar funds did not move as one over the past 3 months: VOE (Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF) rose 3.2%, while XMMO (Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF) fell 9.9%.
- **Long term:** Over the past decade, IJH returned 10.8% a year against 15.5% a year for the S&P 500 (178% in total against 321%).
- **In a crash:** Across six sell-offs, IJH has typically fallen 1.2 times as far as the S&P 500.
- **Diversification:** IJH is more of the same, not a cushion: a correlation of 0.87 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.90 with the total US market, more closely than 78% of ETFs with at least $100 million in assets.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** IVV (iShares Core S&P 500 ETF) and VOE (Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF) earned more than IJH with less volatility over the past 5 years. IVV returned 12.8% a year at 17.0% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 19.6%.
  - **Same exposure, lower fee:** SPMD (State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF) tracks the same thing for 0.03% a year against IJH's 0.05%, and has kept pace over the past decade: about $20 less in fees on $10,000 over 10 years.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** VTV (Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF, US large-cap value) and DIA (State Street SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, US large-cap equity) earned more than IJH with less volatility over the past 5 years. VTV returned 12.1% a year at 13.7% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 19.6%.

## How much would $10,000 in IJH have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in IJH over the past 22 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of IJH over the same span and IJH's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in IJH at the end of September 2004 would have grown to $82,519 by September 2026, less than the $102,174 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of IJH, and IMCG finished highest, at $108,161.

## IJH at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the fund, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- IJH's deepest decline since it began trading in 2000 was 55.1%, from June 2007 to March 2009. It took 21 months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 25 full calendar years, IJH's best was 2009, when it returned 37.9%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 36.1%. It lost money in seven of those years.
- IJH is 6.8% below its all-time high.

- Type: ETF, Broad Market (Asset Management)
- Trading since: May 26, 2000
- Assets: $121B
- Expense ratio: 0.05%
- Volatility (5 years): 19.6%; Sharpe ratio: 0.45
- Worst decline ever: −55.1%, from June 4, 2007 to March 9, 2009; back at its high by December 2, 2010

| Period | IJH total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −0.2% |
| 3 months | −2.2% |
| 6 months | +0.2% |
| year to date | +10.1% |
| 1 year | +13.5% |
| 3 years | +59.4% |
| 5 years | +41.4% |
| 10 years | +178% |

## IJH against the whole market

Where IJH ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does IJH rank among all ETFs?

This section ranks IJH on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every ETF worth at least $100 million with enough history.

- IJH lands in the broad middle of the market on every measure here. IJH's 10-year return ranks in the top 37% of the 958 ETFs with at least $100 million in assets with 10 years of history.

| Measure | IJH | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +13.5% | 969 of 2,485 (top 39%) |
| 3-year return | +59.4% | 995 of 1,949 (top 52%) |
| 5-year return | +41.4% | 834 of 1,560 (top 54%) |
| 10-year return | +178% | 358 of 958 (top 38%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 19.6% | 1,088 of 1,560 (top 70%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.45 | 994 of 1,560 (top 64%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −42.2% | 618 of 951 (top 65%) |

### What has beaten IJH on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- Nine stocks and 307 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than IJH over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 9% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half IJH's swings, LVHI has the best return for its risk: 17.0% a year at 11.1% volatility, 44% less than IJH's 19.6%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.48 against 0.45 for IJH. SDCI earned the most, 20.6% a year, while still swinging less than IJH (18.4% against 19.6%).
- Among IJH's popular alternatives, IVV, IMCV and VOE are in the region. IVV earned 12.8% a year against 7.2% a year for IJH, at 17.0% volatility, 14% less than IJH's 19.6%.

### Is there a better investment than IJH?

The table below lists investments that beat IJH over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes, and, for funds, the same exposure at a lower expense ratio.

- Among IJH's popular alternatives, IVV and VOE earned more than IJH with less volatility over the past 5 years. IVV returned 12.8% a year at 17.0% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 19.6%.
- SPMD tracks the same thing for 0.03% a year against IJH's 0.05%, and has kept pace over the past decade: about $20 less in fees on $10,000 over 10 years.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, VTV (US large-cap value) and DIA (US large-cap equity) earned more than IJH with less volatility over the past 5 years. VTV returned 12.1% a year at 13.7% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 19.6%.

The 15 strongest of 316 investments that beat IJH over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with IJH | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IJH: iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (this page) |  | +7.2% | 19.6% | 0.45 | −42.2% | +178% |  |  |
| [JNJ](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj): Johnson & Johnson | Pharmaceuticals | +12.7% | 17.9% | 0.76 | −27.4% | +196% | 0.31 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | Food & Beverages | +14.7% | 16.8% | 0.91 | −37.0% | +204% | 0.32 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [VIG](https://easycompare.io/research/vig): Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | US Dividend Equity | +10.4% | 14.1% | 0.78 | −31.7% | +258% | 0.90 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [SCHD](https://easycompare.io/research/schd): Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | US Dividend Equity | +9.7% | 14.3% | 0.72 | −33.4% | +252% | 0.81 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [RSG](https://easycompare.io/research/rsg): Republic Services, Inc. | Environmental Services | +13.9% | 18.5% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +446% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [XLV](https://easycompare.io/research/xlv): State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | Health Care Equity | +8.4% | 15.3% | 0.60 | −28.4% | +202% | 0.61 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [VTV](https://easycompare.io/research/vtv): Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +12.1% | 13.7% | 0.90 | −36.8% | +235% | 0.91 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [BRK-B](https://easycompare.io/research/brk-b): Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Insurance | +13.4% | 17.1% | 0.82 | −29.6% | +274% | 0.55 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| IWX: iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF | Broad Market | +12.7% | 13.8% | 0.94 | −35.8% | +221% | 0.89 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| RWL: Invesco S&P 500 Revenue ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +13.7% | 14.4% | 0.97 | −36.1% | +287% | 0.93 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | International Equity | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +194% | 0.66 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| PTLC: Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF | Broad Market | +9.5% | 11.8% | 0.83 | −26.6% | +188% | 0.63 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [VXUS](https://easycompare.io/research/vxus): Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | International Equity | +8.2% | 16.4% | 0.57 | −36.0% | +140% | 0.78 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VEA](https://easycompare.io/research/vea): Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | Developed International Equity | +9.3% | 16.9% | 0.61 | −35.8% | +153% | 0.81 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| PTNQ: Pacer Trendpilot 100 ETF | Technology | +9.7% | 14.1% | 0.73 | −28.1% | +305% | 0.53 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |

## IJH against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against IJH, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do IJH's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Nine of the 24 popular alternatives, led by IMCV, VOE and IWS, were both more rewarding and calmer than IJH over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, IJH returned 7.2% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (19.6% against 17.1%).

### Has IJH consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares IJH with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Nine of the 26 popular alternatives, led by IVV, IWR and VOE, outperformed IJH in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- IVV outperformed IJH in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- IVV, XMMO and XMHQ earned more for the risk they took than IJH (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of IJH | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IJH: iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (this page) | +13.5% | +59.4% | +41.4% | +178% |  |  | 0.45 |
| [IVV](https://easycompare.io/research/ivv): iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | +15.8% | +89.7% | +82.3% | +324% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.80 |
| [IWR](https://easycompare.io/research/iwr): iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF | +15.1% | +71.2% | +41.7% | +198% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.48 |
| VOE: Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF | +21.7% | +75.4% | +56.6% | +182% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.65 |
| IMCV: iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF | +24.2% | +78.2% | +63.1% | +178% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.68 |
| IWS: iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF | +21.9% | +75.3% | +51.6% | +167% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.57 |
| IMCG: iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF | +15.1% | +75.4% | +34.6% | +281% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.39 |
| XMHQ: Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF | +11.9% | +59.9% | +58.9% | +240% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.56 |
| [VO](https://easycompare.io/research/vo): Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | +12.4% | +68.9% | +39.1% | +198% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.47 |
| JHMM: John Hancock Investments - Multifactor Mid Cap ETF | +14.0% | +66.2% | +41.2% | +199% | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.47 |
| XMMO: Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF | +4.6% | +88.0% | +64.6% | +390% | 0/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.56 |
| [VXF](https://easycompare.io/research/vxf): Vanguard Extended Market ETF | +9.9% | +75.1% | +27.2% | +194% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.33 |
| SCHM: Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF | +17.6% | +67.4% | +38.6% | +182% | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.43 |
| BBMC: JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF | +18.3% | +77.5% | +41.4% | — | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.44 |
| DON: WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Fund | +11.6% | +51.5% | +43.7% | +139% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.51 |
| VOT: Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF | +0.1% | +58.0% | +19.6% | +201% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.27 |
| IJJ: iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF | +11.8% | +57.1% | +43.8% | +161% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.47 |
| IWP: iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF | −4.5% | +55.0% | +17.4% | +204% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.26 |
| [IWM](https://easycompare.io/research/iwm): iShares Russell 2000 ETF | +12.3% | +71.3% | +29.0% | +158% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.34 |
| [IJR](https://easycompare.io/research/ijr): iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | +16.7% | +60.8% | +31.5% | +164% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.37 |
| FLQM: Franklin U.S. Mid Cap Multifactor Index ETF | +10.4% | +53.0% | +42.6% | — | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.52 |
| IJK: iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF | +14.9% | +60.3% | +36.9% | +179% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| REGL: ProShares - S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF | +9.0% | +49.1% | +41.7% | +148% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.52 |
| SPMD: State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | +13.5% | +59.5% | +41.6% | +181% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.46 |
| IVOO: Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF | +13.6% | +59.4% | +41.3% | +177% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.45 |
| MDY: State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust | +13.1% | +58.0% | +39.8% | +172% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.44 |
| XMLV: Invesco S&P MidCap Low Volatility ETF | +5.8% | +46.1% | +33.1% | +112% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.47 |

### How did IJH do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2001, along with where IJH ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- IJH finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 12 of its 25 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last three.
- Among its popular alternatives, VOT came out ahead of IJH most often, in 12 of the 19 years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, IJH finished in the top quarter in three of 25 years and in the bottom quarter in one. In 2025, it ranked 15 of 25.

| Year | IJH | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +7.4% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +13.9% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +16.4% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −13.1% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +24.7% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +13.6% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +26.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −11.2% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +16.3% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +20.7% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How IJH has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were IJH's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In four of IJH's five worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- The longest climb back to a previous high took 21 months, after IJH fell 55.1% from June 2007 to March 2009.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −55.1% | June 4, 2007 | March 9, 2009 | December 2, 2010 | −54.1% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −42.2% | February 20, 2020 | March 23, 2020 | November 9, 2020 | −33.4% | Covid crash |
| −31.9% | April 16, 2002 | October 9, 2002 | October 13, 2003 | −30.4% | dot-com bust |
| −26.2% | April 29, 2011 | October 3, 2011 | March 19, 2012 | −18.6% | 2011 euro debt crisis |
| −25.6% | September 7, 2000 | September 21, 2001 | March 19, 2002 | −34.5% | dot-com bust |

### How did IJH do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far IJH, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- IJH fell further than the S&P 500 in six of the nine crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when IJH fell 42.2% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.
- Among its popular alternatives, REGL held up best, falling less than IJH in all six crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | IJH fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | not trading | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −54.8% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −2.6% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −24.6% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −17.5% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −6.1% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −22.8% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −42.2% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −22.8% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −7.0% | −3.4% |

### How closely does IJH move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- 11 of the 22 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than IJH's 0.81, led by XMMO, IMCG and XMHQ.
- XMMO took just 93% of the S&P 500's losses, against 115% for IJH, while still keeping 103% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, IJH captured 93% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 115% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 1.10. Its share of the market's losses was larger than its share of the gains.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IJH: iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (this page) | 93.0% | 115% | 1.10 |
| [IWR](https://easycompare.io/research/iwr): iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF | 93.0% | 111% | 1.06 |
| VOE: Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF | 87.0% | 106% | 0.99 |
| IMCV: iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETF | 89.0% | 109% | 1.02 |
| IWS: iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF | 90.0% | 113% | 1.05 |
| IMCG: iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF | 99.0% | 106% | 1.10 |
| XMHQ: Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF | 94.0% | 105% | 1.01 |
| [VO](https://easycompare.io/research/vo): Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | 91.0% | 109% | 1.05 |
| JHMM: John Hancock Investments - Multifactor Mid Cap ETF | 93.0% | 111% | 1.06 |
| XMMO: Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF | 103% | 93.0% | 1.05 |
| [VXF](https://easycompare.io/research/vxf): Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 100% | 123% | 1.19 |
| SCHM: Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF | 94.0% | 116% | 1.11 |
| DON: WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Fund | 84.0% | 110% | 1.01 |
| VOT: Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF | 95.0% | 113% | 1.12 |
| IJJ: iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF | 93.0% | 121% | 1.12 |
| IWP: iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF | 94.0% | 110% | 1.11 |
| [IWM](https://easycompare.io/research/iwm): iShares Russell 2000 ETF | 98.0% | 129% | 1.17 |
| [IJR](https://easycompare.io/research/ijr): iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 95.0% | 123% | 1.13 |
| IJK: iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF | 91.0% | 110% | 1.08 |
| REGL: ProShares - S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF | 73.0% | 86.0% | 0.80 |
| SPMD: State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | 93.0% | 116% | 1.10 |
| MDY: State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust | 92.0% | 115% | 1.09 |
| XMLV: Invesco S&P MidCap Low Volatility ETF | 65.0% | 80.0% | 0.74 |

### What diversifies IJH?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in IJH into DBMF would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 21% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+8.0% for IJH alone, +8.9% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, GLD, XLE and DBMF have moved largely independently of IJH over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.42 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- Among large stocks, CAH, CLS and MCK have moved largely independently of IJH over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.44 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with IJH | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in IJH's 7 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.16 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 2 of 7 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.42 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 2 of 7 |
| DBMF: iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -0.19 | +59.7% | 12.4% | 0.82 | 1 of 7 |
| DBA: Invesco DB Agriculture Fund | 0.22 | +66.4% | 13.8% | 0.81 | 1 of 7 |
| GDX: VanEck Gold Miners ETF | 0.30 | +181% | 38.2% | 0.73 | 0 of 7 |
| USO: United States Oil Fund, LP | 0.00 | +176% | 37.7% | 0.73 | 1 of 7 |
| EPOL: iShares MSCI Poland ETF | 0.48 | +123% | 29.1% | 0.70 | 0 of 7 |
| FLSP: Franklin Systematic Style Premia ETF | 0.01 | +49.8% | 13.4% | 0.68 | 1 of 7 |

## Common questions

### What was IJH's worst drawdown?

IJH's deepest decline since it began trading in 2000 was 55.1%, from June 2007 to March 2009. It took 21 months from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were IJH's best and worst years?

Over 25 full calendar years, IJH's best year was 2009, when it returned 37.9%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -36.1%.

### Is there a better investment than IJH?

Among IJH's popular alternatives, IVV and VOE earned more than IJH with less volatility over the past 5 years. IVV returned 12.8% a year at 17.0% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 19.6%. SPMD tracks the same thing for 0.03% a year against IJH's 0.05%, and has kept pace over the past decade: about $20 less in fees on $10,000 over 10 years.

### Is IJH more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. IJH's volatility over the past 5 years was 19.6%, 1.1 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, IJH's return lands within 19.6% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is IJH's Sharpe ratio?

IJH's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.45, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so IJH earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is IJH with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, IJH's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.87 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They move almost in lockstep, so holding both adds little diversification. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against IJH instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a IJH holding.

### What are the best alternatives to IJH?

Of the 26 popular alternatives we compared, nine outperformed IJH in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: IVV, IWR and VOE.

### Did IJH outperform the S&P 500?

IJH finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 12 of 25 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +7.4%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did IJH do in stock market crashes?

IJH fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in one of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in six. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when IJH fell 42.2% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.

### What diversifies IJH?

These had a low correlation with IJH over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, GLD (correlation 0.16), XLE (correlation 0.42) and DBMF (correlation -0.19); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.37), CLS (correlation 0.44) and MCK (correlation 0.27). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ivv)
- [iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/iwr)
- [Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF (VO) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/vo)
- [Vanguard Extended Market ETF (VXF) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/vxf)
- [iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/iwm)
- [iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ijr)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)
- [NVIDIA (NVDA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvda)
- [Apple (AAPL) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl)
- [Alphabet (GOOG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/goog)
- [Microsoft (MSFT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/msft)
- [Amazon.com (AMZN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/amzn)

## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/ijh
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against IJH live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=IJH&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research