IWM’s worst drop since 2000 was 59%
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) fell 59% from Jul 2007 to Mar 2009. It took 3.6 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Feb 2011. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 76th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2000 to now
How IWM held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | IWM | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −58.6% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −41.1% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −26.9% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
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What was IWM’s maximum drawdown?
IWM’s deepest fall since 2000 was 58.6%, from its high on July 13, 2007 to its low on March 9, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did IWM take to recover?
3.6 years. IWM first closed above its Jul 2007 high again on February 8, 2011.
Was IWM riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, IWM’s worst drop was 58.6% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −48.0% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, May 30, 2000 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.