CGUS vs ESGU: Differences, Returns & Fees
CGUS and ESGU hold 42% of their weight in the same names, and ESGU returned +17.3% over the year. Net assets: $12.2bn on Oct 8, 2026 for Capital Group Core Equity ETF, and $18.3bn on Oct 9, 2026 for iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF.
ESGU costs 0.18 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.4 points; ESGU is 1.5 times larger.
| CGUS | ESGU | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.33% | 0.15% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 8, 2026 | $12.2bn | $18.1bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +14.9% | +17.3% |
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index |
| Holdings in common | 42% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 43.1% | 37.8% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CGUS and ESGU hold 42% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
half
42% in common
On the same fields
CGUS and ESGU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About CGUS
CGUS is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +14.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.33% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 66 positions, with the top ten at 43.1%.
About ESGU
ESGU tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +17.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 9, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 269 positions, with the top ten at 37.8%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, CGUS or ESGU?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CGUS returned +14.9% and ESGU +17.3%.
- Which is cheaper, CGUS or ESGU?
- ESGU is cheaper, by 0.18 percentage points a year. That is about $18 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, CGUS against ESGU, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cgus-vs-esgu
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). CGUS against ESGU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cgus-vs-esgu
[CGUS against ESGU (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cgus-vs-esgu)
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