Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
FTGS vs SCHM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FTGS returned +5.6% to SCHM's +18.2%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about FTGS and SCHM
Net assets: $1.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for First Trust Growth Strength ETF, and $14.9bn on Aug 31, 2026 for Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF.
Pair scorecard
SCHM costs 0.57 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 12.6 points.
| Measure | FTGS | SCHM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.6% | +18.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Aug 13, 2026 | 5.1%, high on Jun 30, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Growth Strength Index | Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.60% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, FTGS as of Oct 27, 2026 and SCHM as of Aug 31, 2026 | $1.3bn | $14.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 21.4% | 12.4% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, FTGS and SCHM hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
FTGS and SCHM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
FTGS and SCHM are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. FTGS follows Growth Strength Index and SCHM follows Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index.
- Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 FTGS returned +5.6% and SCHM +18.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 12.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.
FTGS
FTGS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +5.6% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.60% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 50 positions, with the top ten at 21.4%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Aug 13, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
SCHM
SCHM tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Aug 31, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 491 positions, with the top ten at 12.4%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Jun 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, FTGS or SCHM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTGS returned +5.6% and SCHM +18.2%.
- Which is cheaper, FTGS or SCHM?
- SCHM is cheaper, by 0.57 percentage points a year. That is about $57 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, FTGS against SCHM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-schm
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). FTGS against SCHM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-schm
[FTGS against SCHM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-schm)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.