When analyzing the U.S.-listed ETF landscape, the sheer scale of the market can be difficult to conceptualize without the right lens. Today, total U.S.-listed ETF assets have swelled to roughly $15.4 Trillion. Out of that massive pool, an overwhelming $8.1 Trillion sits squarely within the U.S. Size & Style category.
Unsurprisingly, Large Cap Beta commands the lion’s share of these assets, acting as the bedrock for countless institutional and retail portfolios. However, when we strip away the blend allocations and isolate the stylistic tilts within this category, a compelling narrative emerges. To see the full scope of where these assets are parked, you can explore our Size & Style Dashboard.
The S&P 500 Divide: Growth vs. Value
While the broader market size sets the stage, the true performance divergence over the last decade has been dictated by stylistic tilts—specifically the tug-of-war between Growth and Value. Looking closely at the S&P 500, we can measure this directly by comparing the iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (IVW) against the iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (IVE) and the core iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV).
As illustrated in the chart below (interactive version available via our S&P 500 Style Analysis Sharelink), the long-term performance gap is stark. Over the measured horizon, Growth (IVW) delivered an astonishing Total Return of +435.75%, comfortably outpacing the broad market (IVV at +332.91%) and more than doubling the returns of Value (IVE at +210.03%).
Underneath these top-line returns are fundamentally different portfolios. Growth commands a hefty premium, trading at a Price-to-Earnings (NTM) multiple of 25.42x, justified in part by an impressive 17.77% trailing twelve-month sales growth. Value, on the other hand, trades at a much more modest 17.77x NTM P/E, with sales growth lagging at just 6.67%. Unsurprisingly, this divergence is primarily driven by sector composition, where Growth’s staggering 51.60% weight in Technology completely eclipses Value’s 20.02% tech exposure.
Under the Hood: Sector Allocations by Size and Style
To fully grasp why these stylistic factors perform the way they do, we have to look at their sector blueprints. The table below breaks down the sector allocations across the entire U.S. Size & Style spectrum.
Notice how U.S. Large Cap Growth concentrates nearly 46% of its weight in Technology and over 11% in Communication Services. Conversely, Large Cap Value leans heavily into Financials (18.14%), Health Care (11.50%), and Industrials (11.99%). This sector polarization explains why a bet on “Growth” over the last decade has functionally been a concentrated bet on mega-cap tech and communications.
| Group | # Funds | AUM ($MM) | Comm. Services | Cons. Discretionary | Cons. Staples | Energy | Financials | Health Care | Industrials | Materials | Real Estate | Technology | Utilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 968 | $8,071,612.99 | 7.57% | 9.69% | 5.81% | 6.09% | 14.10% | 10.26% | 13.93% | 3.90% | 3.59% | 26.70% | 3.83% |
| LC Blend | 364 | $4,511,132.45 | 9.28% | 9.42% | 6.13% | 5.32% | 12.38% | 10.17% | 11.96% | 3.43% | 2.70% | 31.03% | 3.25% |
| LC Growth | 164 | $1,439,986.75 | 11.39% | 10.55% | 3.67% | 2.86% | 8.03% | 7.57% | 10.30% | 2.20% | 1.49% | 45.89% | 1.71% |
| LC Value | 199 | $1,017,211.71 | 6.58% | 7.79% | 9.04% | 8.96% | 18.14% | 11.50% | 11.99% | 4.49% | 4.21% | 16.38% | 6.20% |
| MC Blend | 68 | $417,714.59 | 2.66% | 10.02% | 4.33% | 5.46% | 14.96% | 10.47% | 23.02% | 5.44% | 6.01% | 16.09% | 4.35% |
| MC Growth | 25 | $62,653.06 | 3.74% | 9.95% | 3.27% | 3.58% | 8.82% | 13.51% | 27.12% | 2.50% | 3.06% | 25.14% | 2.27% |
| MC Value | 24 | $84,211.53 | 1.97% | 13.94% | 6.11% | 8.28% | 21.53% | 5.54% | 18.01% | 7.02% | 6.09% | 9.14% | 5.57% |
| SC Blend | 66 | $367,258.90 | 2.76% | 10.33% | 3.02% | 5.98% | 18.85% | 12.51% | 19.42% | 4.66% | 5.72% | 15.03% | 3.34% |
| SC Growth | 21 | $57,623.36 | 2.74% | 9.13% | 2.48% | 4.56% | 11.92% | 18.43% | 24.47% | 3.03% | 3.39% | 20.86% | 1.13% |
| SC Value | 37 | $113,820.63 | 3.64% | 14.55% | 4.15% | 9.08% | 22.86% | 7.92% | 15.30% | 5.57% | 5.07% | 10.30% | 3.71% |
Ultimately, when deciding between Growth and Value within the S&P 500, investors aren’t just choosing between high-multiple momentum and low-multiple fundamentals—they are making active, structural bets on entirely different segments of the economy.
