Which returned more over the last year, FTGS or SMMD?

In the year to Nov 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTGS returned +8.8% and SMMD +22.4%.

Which is cheaper, FTGS or SMMD?

SMMD is cheaper, by 0.45 percentage points a year. That is about $45 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do FTGS and SMMD overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 94% of FTGS and 10% of SMMD by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Across categories

FTGS vs SMMD: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, FTGS returned +8.8% to SMMD's +22.4%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $1.3bn for First Trust Growth Strength ETF and $4.2bn for iShares Russell 2500 ETF.

FTGS on its own →SMMD on its own →

At a glance

+8.8%

FTGS total return, 1 year

+22.4%

SMMD total return, 1 year

0.60%

FTGS expense ratio

0.15%

SMMD expense ratio

Pair scorecard

SMMD costs 0.45 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 13.6 points; SMMD is 3.2 times larger.

FTGS vs SMMD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FTGS	SMMD
Return
Measure	FTGS	SMMD
Total return, 1 year	+8.8%	+22.4%
Drawdown
Measure	FTGS	SMMD
Below its high	4.0%, high on Aug 13, 2026	5.3%, high on Aug 14, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	FTGS	SMMD
What it tracks	Growth Strength Index	Russell 2500 Index
Cost and size
Measure	FTGS	SMMD
Expense ratio	0.60%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$1.3bn	$4.2bn
Holdings
Measure	FTGS	SMMD
Holdings in common	0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	22.1%	43.4%

Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, FTGS and SMMD hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Nov 3, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FTGS SMMD

Ralph Lauren Corporation 2.06% 0.20%

Five Below, Inc. 2.13% 0.18%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FTGS

Vertiv Holdings Co (Class A) 2.30%

United Therapeutics Corporation 2.27%

Eli Lilly and Company 2.25%

Blackstone Inc. 2.23%

Delta Air Lines, Inc. 2.22%

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. 2.20%

General Dynamics Corporation 2.19%

S&P Global Inc. 2.18%

Only in SMMD

ISHARES RUSSELL 2000 ETF 40.62%

ATI 0.34%

GUARDANT HEALTH 0.31%

PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA 0.31%

RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM 0.31%

US FOODS HOLDING 0.31%

VIATRIS 0.31%

NISOURCE 0.30%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

FTGS First Trust Growth Strength ETF SMMD iShares Russell 2500 ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF

Issuer First Trust iShares

What it is Tracks an index Tracks an index

Total return, 1 year +8.8% +22.4%

Its benchmark over the same days +14.8% (VOO) +14.8% (IWV)

Gap to its benchmark −6.0 pts vs VOO +7.6 pts vs IWV

Expense ratio 0.60% 0.15%

Already in the S&P 500 93.8% 10.3%

Holdings 50 516

Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $1.3bn $4.2bn

FTGS and SMMD on the fields both publish, as of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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About each fund

FTGS

FTGS tracks an index. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 it returned +8.8% with distributions reinvested, against +14.8% 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 Nov 3, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 50 positions, with the top ten at 22.1%. It sat 4.0% below its high of Aug 13, 2026 on Nov 4, 2026.

SMMD

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 it returned +22.4% with distributions reinvested, against +14.8% for its benchmark, the Russell 3000 Index.

SMMD tracks an index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Nov 3, 2026, 10% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 516 positions, with the top ten at 43.4%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Nov 4, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FTGS or SMMD?: In the year to Nov 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTGS returned +8.8% and SMMD +22.4%.
Which is cheaper, FTGS or SMMD?: SMMD is cheaper, by 0.45 percentage points a year. That is about $45 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do FTGS and SMMD overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 94% of FTGS and 10% of SMMD by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

FTGS vs IMCG FTGS vs FV FTGS vs IVOO CGMM vs FTGS SMMD vs VFMO SMMD vs SPGP SMMD vs XMHQ SMMD vs SPTM

Where to next

FTGS on its own →SMMD on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →FTGS dividend history →FTGS holdings →SMMD dividend history →SMMD holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FTGS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FTGS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for FTGS ↗

SMMD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

SMMD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for SMMD ↗

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, FTGS against SMMD, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-smmd

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.