AVUV vs IWM ETF Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
AVUV and IWM both provide small-cap US equity exposure, but with meaningfully different portfolio construction. AVUV uses factor screens (value + profitability) to target academically-supported return premiums. IWM provides broad small-cap market exposure including unprofitable companies. Factor investors who believe in the small-value premium prefer AVUV. Investors wanting the small-cap benchmark, maximum liquidity, or tactical options strategies prefer IWM.
AVUV vs IWM is the factor-tilted small-cap value ETF screening for profitability to capture small-cap, value, and profitability return premiums simultaneously (Avantis AVUV) versus the broad Russell 2000 small-cap benchmark ETF providing maximum liquidity and complete small-cap market exposure without factor screening (iShares IWM) — systematic factor exposure vs pure market-cap index.
AVUV holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. AVUV has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+27.20% vs +15.15% for IWM).
- believe in the academic factor investing framework — specifically the small-cap, value, and profitability factor premiums documented by Fama-French and other researchers
- prefer profitability-screened small-cap value that avoids cheap-but-unprofitable small companies ('value traps') dragging pure small-value index returns
- want long-term small-cap factor premium exposure in a core portfolio allocation with patience for multi-year factor cycles
- are comfortable with small-cap value's recent extended underperformance vs large-cap growth, higher expense ratio than IWM, and factor premium uncertainty in shorter time horizons
- prefer the Russell 2000 small-cap benchmark for institutional-grade liquidity, performance attribution comparison, and deep options market for small-cap tactical strategies
- value IWM as the recognized US small-cap standard — widely used in performance attribution, portfolio construction discussions, and financial media commentary
- want tactical small-cap positioning for economic recovery exposure or rotation from large-cap to small-cap in a familiar, liquid vehicle
- are comfortable with unscreened small-cap including unprofitable companies, standard index methodology without factor improvement, and tactical rather than factor-focused investing
| Metric | AVUV | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 26.5 | 27.0 |
| Latest closei | $122.80 | $279.79 |
| 1M returni | +2.31% | -0.61% |
| 3M returni | -4.30% | -7.02% |
| 6M returni | +2.91% | -0.49% |
| 1Y returni | +27.20% | +15.15% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | AVUV | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $12.89K (+28.9%) started 2025-11-03 | $11.63K (+16.3%) started 2025-11-03 |
| 5Y ago | $17.82K (+78.2%) started 2021-11-04 | $13.3K (+33.0%) started 2021-11-04 |
| 10Y ago | $30.82K (+208.2%) started 2019-09-26 | $31.31K (+213.1%) started 2016-11-04 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | AVUV | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.25% | 0.19% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $30.38B | $78.04B |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.29% | 0.98% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 12.18 | 16.46 |
| Betai | 1.05 | 1.16 |
| 52-week change | 27.20% | 15.15% |
| Metric | AVUV | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +27.20% | +15.15% |
| 6M returni | +2.91% | -0.49% |
| 3M returni | -4.30% | -7.02% |
| 1M returni | +2.31% | -0.61% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 1.40 | 0.62 |
| Betai | 1.05 | 1.16 |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.29% | 0.98% |
| 5Y CAGR | +10.28% | +4.53% |
Over the past year, AVUV and IWM have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.83), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | AVUV | IWM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +27.20% | +15.15% |
| CAGRi | +27.22% | +15.16% | |
| Volatilityi | 14.81% | 18.12% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.40 | 0.62 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 2.21 | 0.90 | |
| Max drawdowni | 8.22% | 11.13% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.30% | 8.05% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 2.10% | 3.15% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 3.07% | 4.36% | |
| Max daily dropi | 2.51% | 3.55% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 4.21% | 4.62% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +63.03% | +24.77% |
| CAGRi | +10.28% | +4.53% | |
| Volatilityi | 22.04% | 22.33% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.35 | 0.11 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.51 | 0.16 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.79% | 31.91% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.30% | 8.05% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.49% | 13.57% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 8.36% | 16.38% | |
| Max daily dropi | 8.16% | 6.42% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 14.10% | 12.38% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +173.71% | +173.97% |
| CAGRi | +15.23% | +10.61% | |
| Volatilityi | 27.58% | 23.01% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.49 | 0.36 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.70 | 0.50 | |
| Max drawdowni | 49.42% | 41.13% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.30% | 8.05% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.64% | 9.95% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 11.19% | 13.37% | |
| Max daily dropi | 12.69% | 13.27% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 25.92% | 24.00% |
| Category | AVUV | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF | iShares Russell 2000 ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.25% | 0.19% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $30.38B | $78.04B |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.29% | 0.98% |
- Triple factor exposure: small-cap, value, and profitability factors all simultaneously — academic research suggests each provides an independent return premium over time
- Profitability screen avoids value traps: AVUV's requirement for profitable small-value companies excludes the cheapest-but-unprofitable small caps that drag pure value index returns
- Avantis' systematic approach: active factor management allows quarterly rebalancing toward highest-ranked factor stocks vs rigid index reconstitution
- Most liquid small-cap ETF: IWM's large AUM and trading volume create the most liquid small-cap ETF with the deepest options market for tactical and hedging strategies
- Benchmark standard: IWM's Russell 2000 tracking is the recognized small-cap performance benchmark in the US — widely used for performance attribution and peer comparison
- Broad small-cap diversification: 2,000 companies create maximum diversification within small-cap, reducing single-stock event risk
- Small-cap value has been a challenging factor: despite academic evidence, small-cap value has underperformed large-cap growth for extended periods in recent history
- Higher expense ratio than IWM: AVUV at 0.25% is more expensive than IWM at 0.19% — worth it only if factor premium materializes
- Small-cap stocks are more illiquid and economically sensitive: small companies underperform in economic slowdowns and credit contractions
- Many Russell 2000 companies are unprofitable: the Russell 2000 has a high percentage of unprofitable small companies — potentially dragging returns vs profitability-screened alternatives like AVUV
- Russell 2000 includes speculative small-caps: the index includes many early-stage, money-losing small companies that represent high risk
- Small-cap factor beta to economic cycles: Russell 2000 companies are more domestic-economy-sensitive and credit-sensitive than large-caps — underperforming more severely in slowdowns
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