Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
ESML vs XSMO: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, ESML returned +17.7% to XSMO's +11.8%; 6% 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 $2.8bn for Invesco S&P SmallCap Momentum ETF.
Pair scorecard
ESML costs 0.18 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.9 points.
| Measure | ESML | XSMO |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.7% | +11.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.3%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 12.5%, high on Jun 30, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index | S&P SmallCap 600 Momentum Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.17% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $2.7bn | $2.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 6% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.2% | 23.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 20, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 444 weekly returnsXSMO returned more: +148.6% to +126.6%. ESML swung slightly less: 22.8% to 24.9%. XSMO fell slightly less at its worst: −38.3% to −40.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | ESML | XSMO | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +126.6% | +148.6% | XSMO | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +10.1% | +11.3% | XSMO | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +104.3% | +132.1% | XSMO | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 22.8% | 24.9% | ESML (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.0% | 17.2% | ESML (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −40.6% | −38.3% | XSMO (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.41 | 0.44 | XSMO (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.59 | 0.64 | XSMO (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.25 | 0.29 | XSMO | 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 XSMO hold 6% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
6% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
ESML and XSMO on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
ESML and XSMO 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 XSMO follows S&P SmallCap 600 Momentum Index.
- Holdings in common. 6% 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 XSMO +11.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 5.9 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.
XSMO
XSMO tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +11.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 116 positions, with the top ten at 23.3%. It sat 12.5% below its high of Jun 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ESML or XSMO?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ESML returned +17.7% and XSMO +11.8%.
- Which is cheaper, ESML or XSMO?
- ESML 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.
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 XSMO, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-xsmo
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). ESML against XSMO. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-xsmo
[ESML against XSMO (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-xsmo)
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