Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SMLF vs SPSM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SMLF returned +14.8% to SPSM's +17.6%; 21% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $4.2bn for iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF and $16.0bn for State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF.
Pair scorecard
SPSM costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.8 points; SPSM is 3.8 times larger.
| Measure | SMLF | SPSM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.8% | +17.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.2%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 6.7%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index | S&P SmallCap 600 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $4.2bn | $16.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 21% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 6.4% | 5.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
May 8, 2015 to Oct 23, 2026 · 598 weekly returnsSMLF returned more: +225.7% to +168.7%. SMLF swung slightly less: 21.0% to 22.2%. SMLF fell slightly less at its worst: −40.4% to −41.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | SMLF | SPSM | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +225.7% | +168.7% | SMLF | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +10.8% | +9.0% | SMLF | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +183.9% | +121.3% | SMLF | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.0% | 22.2% | SMLF (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.6% | 15.3% | SMLF (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −40.4% | −41.9% | SMLF (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.49 | 0.40 | SMLF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.70 | 0.58 | SMLF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.27 | 0.21 | SMLF | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 598 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, SMLF and SPSM hold 21% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
21% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
SMLF and SPSM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SMLF and SPSM are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. SMLF follows STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index and SPSM follows S&P SmallCap 600 Index.
- Holdings in common. 21% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 SMLF returned +14.8% and SPSM +17.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.8 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
SPSM
SPSM tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for its benchmark, the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% 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 609 positions, with the top ten at 5.3%. It sat 6.7% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SMLF or SPSM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SMLF returned +14.8% and SPSM +17.6%.
- Which is cheaper, SMLF or SPSM?
- SPSM is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 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, SMLF against SPSM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smlf-vs-spsm
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SMLF against SPSM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smlf-vs-spsm
[SMLF against SPSM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smlf-vs-spsm)
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