Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SDVY vs SMLF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SDVY returned +12.2% to SMLF's +14.8%; 16% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $11.1bn for First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF and $4.2bn for iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF.
Pair scorecard
SMLF costs 0.43 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.6 points; SDVY is 2.6 times larger.
| Measure | SDVY | SMLF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.2% | +14.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 6.6%, high on Aug 4, 2026 | 5.2%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Nasdaq US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index | STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.58% | 0.15% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $11.1bn | $4.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 16% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 10.2% | 6.4% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 10, 2017 to Oct 23, 2026 · 467 weekly returnsSDVY and SMLF returned about the same: +147.8% and +147.2%. SDVY and SMLF swung about the same: 22.8% and 22.5%. SDVY and SMLF fell about the same at their worst: −40.5% and −40.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | SDVY | SMLF | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +147.8% | +147.2% | Tie | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +10.6% | +10.6% | Tie | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +113.0% | +120.3% | SMLF (slight) | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 22.8% | 22.5% | Tie | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.0% | 15.8% | Tie | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −40.5% | −40.4% | Tie | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.44 | 0.44 | Tie | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.63 | 0.63 | Tie | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.26 | 0.26 | Tie | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 467 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, SDVY and SMLF hold 16% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
16% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
SDVY and SMLF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SDVY and SMLF are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. SDVY follows Nasdaq US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index and SMLF follows STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index.
- Holdings in common. 16% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 SDVY returned +12.2% and SMLF +14.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 3000 Index.
SDVY tracks an index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.58% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 24% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 172 positions, with the top ten at 10.2%. It sat 6.6% below its high of Aug 4, 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, SDVY or SMLF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SDVY returned +12.2% and SMLF +14.8%.
- Which is cheaper, SDVY or SMLF?
- SMLF is cheaper, by 0.43 percentage points a year. That is about $43 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, SDVY against SMLF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/sdvy-vs-smlf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SDVY against SMLF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/sdvy-vs-smlf
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