Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
ESML vs SMLF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, ESML returned +17.7% to SMLF's +14.8%; 46% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $2.7bn for iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF and $4.2bn for iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF.
Pair scorecard
SMLF costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; SMLF is 1.6 times larger.
| Measure | ESML | SMLF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.7% | +14.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.3%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 5.2%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index | STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.17% | 0.15% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $2.7bn | $4.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 46% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.2% | 6.4% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 20, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 444 weekly returnsSMLF returned slightly more: +136.6% to +126.6%. ESML and SMLF swung about the same: 22.8% and 22.7%. ESML and SMLF fell about the same at their worst: −40.6% and −40.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | ESML | SMLF | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +126.6% | +136.6% | SMLF (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +10.1% | +10.6% | SMLF (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +104.3% | +112.1% | SMLF (slight) | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 22.8% | 22.7% | Tie | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.0% | 15.9% | Tie | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −40.6% | −40.4% | Tie | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.41 | 0.44 | SMLF (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.59 | 0.62 | SMLF (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.25 | 0.26 | SMLF (slight) | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 444 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, ESML and SMLF hold 46% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
46% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
ESML and SMLF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
ESML and SMLF are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. ESML follows MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index and SMLF follows STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index.
- Holdings in common. 46% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 ESML returned +17.7% and SMLF +14.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.9 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
SMLF
SMLF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 11% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 962 positions, with the top ten at 6.4%. It sat 5.2% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ESML or SMLF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ESML returned +17.7% and SMLF +14.8%.
- Which is cheaper, ESML or SMLF?
- SMLF is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 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 SMLF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-smlf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). ESML against SMLF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-smlf
[ESML against SMLF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-smlf)
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