Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs USMV: how they differ
CTA and USMV hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and CTA returned more over the year.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and USMV hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in USMV |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 1.81% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | NVIDIA CORPORATION 1.64% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION 1.60% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | MICROSOFT CORPORATION 1.56% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION 1.55% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | THE SOUTHERN COMPANY 1.53% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | AMPHENOL CORPORATION 1.51% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | Chubb Limited 1.50% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | iShares |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | MSCI USA Min Vol Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +6.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | −10.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 94.8% |
| Holdings | 10 | 170 |
CTA in plain words
CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
USMV in plain words
USMV is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Min Vol Factor. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 170 positions, with the top ten at 15.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, CTA or USMV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and USMV returned +6.6%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or USMV?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and USMV charges 0.15%, so USMV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and USMV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA and 95% of USMV by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, CTA against USMV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-USMV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources