Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IJR vs SMAY: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IJR returned +17.5% to SMAY's +8.8%, and IJR charges 0.06% to SMAY's 0.90%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $104.6bn for iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF and $111m for FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May.
Pair scorecard
IJR costs 0.84 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.7 points; IJR is far larger, $104.6bn against $111m.
| Measure | IJR | SMAY |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.5% | +8.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 6.8%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Index fall to the buffer | 1.3% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 3.5% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | S&P SmallCap 600 | IWM |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 15.2% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 15.0% of 15.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 205 | |
| Period ends | May 21, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.90% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $104.6bn | $111m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.3% | |
Side by side
IJR and SMAY on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IJR
IJR tracks the S&P SmallCap 600. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.6% for its benchmark, the S&P SmallCap 600. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% 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 642 positions, with the top ten at 5.3%. It sat 6.8% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
SMAY
From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, IWM can fall 1.3% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's IWM level. 205 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On May 21, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Are IJR and SMAY in the same category?
- IJR is a stock ETF and SMAY is a buffer ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, IJR or SMAY?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IJR returned +17.5% and SMAY +8.8%.
- Which is cheaper, IJR or SMAY?
- IJR is cheaper, by 0.84 percentage points a year. That is about $84 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, IJR against SMAY, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ijr-vs-smay
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IJR against SMAY. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ijr-vs-smay
[IJR against SMAY (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ijr-vs-smay)
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