February 25, 2021 Small-capitalization stocks and related ETFs have been outperforming their large cap counterparts by the widest margin in over two decades as investors shift out of coronavirus pandemic plays and look to a broad economic recovery. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM), which tracks the widely observed Russell 2000 Index, increased 15.8% so far this year and jumped 42.1% over the past year. Meanwhile, the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEArca: IVV), which tracks the benchmark S&P 500 Index, gained 4.8% year-to-date and advanced 23.8% over the past year. Through the end of last Friday, the Russell 2000 index of small companies climbed 15% and set 10 closing records in 2021, well above the S&P 500’s 4% gain, marking the widest such gap between the two indices through Feb. 19 since 2000, the Wall Street Journal reported.