Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
ESML vs PSC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, ESML returned +17.7% to PSC's +21.0%; 18% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $2.7bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF, and $2.7bn on Oct 26, 2026 for Principal U.S. Small-Cap ETF.
Pair scorecard
ESML costs 0.21 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.3 points.
| Measure | ESML | PSC |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.7% | +21.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.3%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index | No index, actively managed |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.17% | 0.38% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $2.7bn | $2.7bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 18% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.2% | 11.2% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, ESML and PSC hold 18% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
18% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
ESML and PSC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
ESML
ESML tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.17% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 12% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 903 positions, with the top ten at 5.2%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +21.0% with distributions reinvested, against +14.1% for its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Index.
PSC is actively managed and tracks no index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.38% 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 506 positions, with the top ten at 11.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ESML or PSC?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ESML returned +17.7% and PSC +21.0%.
- Which is cheaper, ESML or PSC?
- ESML is cheaper, by 0.21 percentage points a year. That is about $21 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. 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, ESML against PSC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-psc
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). ESML against PSC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-psc
[ESML against PSC (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-psc)
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