iShares Micro-Cap ETF

IWC

Valor de mercado US$ 1,25 bi

High-risk, high-reward corners of the market may feel off-limits to more cautious investors, but these areas may become more approachable with specific exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that help mitigate risk. Clinical-stage biotech names, micro-cap stocks, and junior gold mining companies are among the firms that may entice investors looking to make such a wager.

Europe shows tentative signs of improvement, but the recovery remains uneven. AI investment is increasingly influencing U.S. capital spending and trade.

I maintain a "Buy" rating on the iShares Micro-Cap ETF, which has returned 27% YTD, outperforming SPY and IWM. IWC benefits from strong momentum, an attractive 11.6x P/E valuation, and leadership in Healthcare and Financials, with a notable 50% small-cap value tilt. Technical indicators are bullish: higher highs/lows, rising 200 DMA, and robust RSI, though near-term seasonality is unfavorable.

The momentum risk factor has been leading the field in recent history, but there are signs that a rotation may be underway, based on a set of ETFs through yesterday's close (July 20). After a long run of relatively weak small-cap results, the recent strength for these shares raises the possibility that a leadership rotation may be developing.

The $85 billion listing last month of SpaceX, Elon Musk's aerospace, satellite communications and artificial intelligence company, was an important market event. The company's dual-class share structure, conferring disproportionate voting power on its founder, could be expected to serve as a template for the next wave of high-profile IPOs, with OpenAI and Anthropic expected to follow suit in the coming quarters.

Momentum continues to stand out as the dominant equity risk factor since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28. The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF has soared more than 32% since the initial attacks on Iran—an extraordinary gain compared with the rest of the field.

Investors searching for the biggest stock winners of 2026 may be surprised to learn they already own some of them through small-cap ETFs.

I rate iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) a buy, viewing it as a high-conviction, tactical role player in my 10-ETF ROAR model portfolio. IWC targets the smallest, often overlooked U.S. equities, offering unique alpha potential and low correlation with large-cap dominated indices. With 1,300 holdings and a 25x trailing P/E, IWC is positioned for outsized returns during speculative market phases, but carries liquidity and volatility risks.

Tiny microcap stocks are starting to deliver huge gains — leaving behind the giants of the S&P 500.

The Middle East crisis led to a broad selloff in Russell equity segments in March halting the year-long rally. 12M forward P/Es derated broadly but more so for Russell 1000, Top 200 and the large- and small-cap Growth indices partly due to their heavy Tech exposure and valuation expansion over the last three years.