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Higher Returns with Lower Risk: The SectorSurfer Advantage

ITOT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF

Category: Large Cap Growth Equities

Inception: 2004-01-20 Issuer: BlackRock, Inc.
Net Assets
$61.9B
Expense Ratio
0.03 %
# of Holdings
2
Average Daily Volume
2.37M

Fund Overview

The iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) is a low-cost, broad-market ETF designed to provide investors with exposure to the entire U.S. equity market. ITOT tracks the S&P Total Market Index, which includes over 3,500 stocks across large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap companies, offering comprehensive diversification. The fund is ideal for long-term investors seeking a core holding that captures the performance of the U.S. stock market with minimal expense. ITOT is widely used in portfolios for its simplicity, tax efficiency, and alignment with passive investment strategies.
Asset Class
Equity
Industry
N/A
Annual Dividend Rate
Smart Beta
No
Leveraged / Inverse
N/A / No
Dividend Quality - Yield
 - 1.31 %
Currency Hedged
No
Portfolio Turnover
4 %
Dividend Date

Why Invest in the ITOT ETF?

Potential Benefits

  • Provides broad exposure to the entire U.S. stock market, including large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks.
  • Low expense ratio (0.03%) makes it cost-effective for long-term investors.
  • Highly liquid with tight bid-ask spreads, facilitating easy trading.
  • Tax-efficient structure, minimizing capital gains distributions.
  • Strong historical performance relative to actively managed funds over the long term.

Potential Risks

  • Market risk: Performance is tied to the overall U.S. stock market, which can be volatile.
  • No active management to mitigate downturns or capitalize on opportunities.
  • Heavily weighted toward large-cap stocks, which may limit small-cap exposure impact.
  • Sector concentration risk, particularly in technology and financials.
  • Tracking error risk, though minimal, could affect returns versus the index.

Performance

1 Week 1 Month 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years YTD 2025 2024 Since Inception
-0.17% +0.60% +15.96% +85.32% +82.99% +13.45% +17.22% +24.65% +894.09%

Performance


Monthly Returns (%)

Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2026 +1.5% -0.6% -4.9% +10.4% +5.2% -0.5% -0.4% +2.6% -0.7% +1.0% - -
2025 +3.0% -1.8% -5.9% -0.8% +6.4% +5.2% +2.3% +2.3% +3.4% +2.3% +0.1% 0.0%
2024 +1.0% +5.3% +3.2% -4.4% +4.9% +3.0% +1.9% +2.1% +2.0% -0.7% +6.7% -3.0%
2023 +6.9% -2.3% +2.6% +1.0% +0.4% +6.8% +3.6% -2.0% -4.8% -2.7% +9.4% +5.4%
2022 -5.9% -2.5% +3.2% -9.0% -0.2% -8.3% +9.3% -3.8% -9.2% +8.0% +5.2% -5.8%
2021 -0.3% +3.2% +3.6% +5.1% +0.4% +2.4% +1.8% +2.8% -4.5% +6.7% -1.4% +3.8%
2020 -0.1% -8.0% -13.9% +13.2% +5.2% +2.3% +5.8% +7.1% -3.5% -1.9% +12.0% +4.4%
2019 +8.4% +3.5% +1.4% +3.9% -6.4% +6.9% +1.3% -1.9% +1.8% +2.2% +3.7% +2.9%
2018 +5.2% -3.8% -1.9% +0.3% +2.8% +0.7% +3.3% +3.5% +0.1% -7.4% +1.9% -9.1%
2017 +2.0% +3.6% +0.1% +1.0% +1.1% +0.9% +1.9% +0.1% +2.4% +2.2% +3.0% +1.2%
< -5% -5% to -2% -2% to 0% 0% 0% to +2% +2% to +5% > +5%

Top Holdings (by weight)

Symbol Company Name Weight
AAPL APPLE INC 5.9 %
NVDA NVIDIA CORP 5.2 %
MSFT MICROSOFT CORP 5.2 %
AMZN AMAZON.COM INC 3.3 %
META META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 2.3 %
BRK-B BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC CLASS B 1.8 %
GOOGL ALPHABET INC CLASS A 1.7 %
AVGO BROADCOM INC 1.7 %
GOOG ALPHABET INC CLASS C 1.4 %
JPM JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 1.2 %
Top 10 holdings shown, out of 2 total holdings.

Related ETFs: ITOT vs Peers

ETF Full Name Expense Ratio Net Assets Holdings Asset Class
IWB iShares Russell 1000 ETF 0.15 % $37.2B 1 Equity
IWR iShares Russell Midcap ETF 0.19 % $38.3B 809 Equity
IWV iShares Russell 3000 ETF 0.20 % $14.4B 2 Equity
IYY iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF 0.20 % $2.2B 1 Equity
SCHA Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF 0.04 % $15.9B 1 Equity
SCHB Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF 0.03 % $30.7B 2 Equity
SCHX Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF 0.03 % $49.8B 750 Equity
SPTM SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF 0.03 % $9.4B 1 Equity
VTHR Vanguard Russell 3000 ETF 0.07 % $4.3B 2 Equity
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF 0.03 % $1700B 3 Equity
Comparison highlights key differences on cost, coverage, and focus within sector ETFs.

Investment Strategy

ITOT tracks the S&P Total Market Index, a market-cap-weighted index designed to represent the entire U.S. equity market. The index includes over 3,500 stocks, providing comprehensive exposure across all market capitalizations. The fund is passively managed, meaning it aims to replicate the index's performance rather than outperform it. ITOT primarily holds common stocks and rebalances quarterly to align with index changes, such as additions, deletions, and share adjustments. The fund's low turnover enhances tax efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What index does ITOT track?

ITOT tracks the S&P Total Market Index, which includes over 3,500 U.S. stocks across all market capitalizations.

How does ITOT differ from SPY?

SPY tracks the S&P 500 (large-cap stocks only), while ITOT covers the entire U.S. market, including mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks.

Is ITOT a good long-term investment?

Yes, ITOT's broad diversification and low cost make it an excellent core holding for long-term investors.

Does ITOT pay dividends?

Yes, ITOT distributes dividends quarterly, reflecting the dividends paid by its underlying holdings.

Can ITOT be used in a retirement account?

Absolutely. ITOT's tax efficiency and long-term growth potential make it well-suited for IRAs and 401(k)s.

Industry Overview

The iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) provides investors with exposure to the entire U.S. equity market, spanning large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks. This broad-market approach is ideal for investors seeking diversified exposure to the U.S. economy without the need to pick individual stocks or sectors. The U.S. stock market has historically delivered strong long-term returns, driven by innovation, corporate earnings growth, and economic expansion. ITOT's inclusion of smaller companies offers additional growth potential, though with higher volatility compared to large-cap-focused funds.

Alternative Comparison

Compared to VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF), ITOT offers a similar broad-market exposure but tracks a different index (S&P Total Market Index vs. CRSP US Total Market Index). Both have ultra-low expense ratios (0.03% for ITOT, 0.03% for VTI). ITOT may have slightly higher liquidity due to iShares' market-making support. SCHB (Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF) is another comparable fund but excludes micro-cap stocks, making ITOT a more comprehensive option for total market exposure.

Issuer Overview

iShares, a division of BlackRock, is the world's largest ETF provider, known for its low-cost, index-tracking funds. With over $3 trillion in assets under management, iShares offers a wide range of ETFs covering various asset classes, sectors, and regions. The firm is recognized for its robust index methodology, liquidity, and investor education resources.

Conclusion

ITOT is a compelling choice for investors seeking a low-cost, diversified core holding in the U.S. stock market. Its broad exposure, tax efficiency, and strong track record make it suitable for buy-and-hold strategies. While it carries market risks inherent to equities, its passive approach and low fees align well with long-term wealth-building goals.

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