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BFORvsESMLETF Comparison

ETF 1

BFOR

BARRON’S 400 ETF

This fund is part of

US Multi-Factor

-0.91%

Full BFOR fund page

VS

ETF 2

ESML

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF

This fund is part of

US Small Cap

-1.41%

Full ESML fund page

BARRON’S 400 ETF (BFOR) belongs to the US Multi-Factor segment. iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF (ESML) is part of the US Small Cap segment. BFOR's top 3 sector exposures are Finance, Technology and Healthcare. In contrast, ESML's top sector exposures are Finance, Healthcare and Technology. BFOR is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.65%, versus 0.17% for ESML. BFOR is up 12.94% year-to-date (YTD) with +$19M in YTD flows. ESML performs better with 13.73% YTD performance, and +$374M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of BFOR and ESML below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.

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BFOR vs ESML performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

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Daily, global ETF data for advanced analysis or integration into apps (API), from our partner Trackinsight.

Data Services

Historic performance and flows

Data as of 10/16/2026

		1M	3M	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y
Perf.	BFOR ESML	+0.04%-1.85%	-1.40%-4.11%	+12.94%+13.73%	+17.46%+16.58%	+68.93%+62.60%	+59.40%+36.90%
Flows	BFOR ESML	-$629K-$37M	+$8M-$46M	+$19M+$374M	+$21M+$370M	+$23M+$589M	+$13M+$995M

Volatility and drawdown

		3M	1Y	3Y	5Y
Volatility	BFOR ESML	+10.85%+13.66%	+13.86%+16.42%	+16.92%+19.55%	+19.36%+21.18%
Max drawdown	BFOR ESML	-6.98%-8.35%	-8.35%-9.05%	-21.70%-26.61%	-26.04%-28.52%
Max drawdown duration	BFOR ESML	61d61d	49d46d	219d296d	815d980d

Trading data

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	BFOR	ESML
Last sale 10/16/2026 at 1:30 PM	$23.24	$51.90
Previous close 10/15/2026	$23.43	$52.58
Consolidated volume 10/15/2026
Average volume 30 days
Average discount or premium 30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days

Replication quality

Data as of September 30, 2026

1-year trailing difference

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	BFOR	ESML
Tracking error
Tracking difference
1 year cumulative return difference
Best
Worst
Daily return difference
Average
Worst

Main metrics

Last update 10/16/2026 at 1:30 PM

Live

Closed

	BFOR	ESML
Last price	$23.24	$51.90
1D performance	-0.81%	-1.29%
AuM	$231.24 M	$2.69 B
E/R	0.65%	0.17%

Characteristics

	BFOR	ESML
Management strategy	Passive	Passive
Provider	ALPS	iShares
Benchmark	Barron's 400 Index	MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index
N° of holdings	396	909
Asset class	Equities	Equities
Trailing 12m distribution yield	Join	Join
Inception date	June 3, 2013	April 10, 2018
ESG	No	Yes

More BFOR data on Trackinsight

More ESML data on Trackinsight

Exposure

Countries

BFOR

USA

95.16%

Other

4.84%

ESML

USA

95.64%

Other

4.36%

Sectors

BFOR

Finance

23.87%

Technology

17.7%

Healthcare

12.41%

Industrials

12.28%

Other

33.75%

ESML

Finance

22.04%

Healthcare

15.23%

Technology

15.1%

Industrials

13.93%

Non-Energy Materi.

7.12%

Other

26.58%

Diversification

BFOR

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

6.95%

ESML

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

6.06%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of August 31, 2026

BFOR

Dell Technologies, Inc.

0.66%

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

0.53%

Marvell Technology, Inc.

0.53%

Sandisk Corp.

0.52%

Micron Technology, Inc.

0.49%

Seagate Technology Holdings Plc

0.47%

Nutex Health, Inc.

0.47%

Fortinet, Inc.

0.45%

SharkNinja, Inc.

0.42%

Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd.

0.42%

Paycom Software, Inc.

0.41%

Iridium Communications, Inc.

0.41%

Sezzle, Inc.

0.40%

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

0.39%

Illumina, Inc.

0.39%

ESML

Moderna, Inc.

0.74%

Assurant, Inc.

0.62%

US Foods Holding Corp.

0.57%

Ovintiv, Inc.

0.46%

ONE Gas, Inc.

0.39%

Royal Gold, Inc.

0.38%

Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.

0.36%

Trimble, Inc.

0.33%

Guardant Health, Inc.

0.32%

Nutanix, Inc.

0.32%

Invesco Ltd.

0.32%

The Clorox Co.

0.32%

Dynatrace, Inc.

0.32%

Equitable Holdings, Inc.

0.31%

Unum Group

0.31%

Frequently asked questions about BFOR and ESML

How have the BFOR and ESML ETFs performed in 2026?

As of October 16, 2026, BFOR is up 12.94% year-to-date (YTD), while ESML has returned 13.73%. That puts ESML better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: BFOR or ESML?

Year-to-date, the BFOR ETF saw +$19M in flows, compared to +$374M for ESML.

Which ETF is more volatile: BFOR or ESML?

Over the past year, BFOR had a volatility of 13.86%, while ESML experienced 16.42%.

Which ETF is bigger: BFOR or ESML?

As of October 16, 2026, BFOR holds $231.24 M in assets under management (AUM), while ESML manages $2.69 B.

What sectors do the BFOR and ESML ETFs invest in?

BFOR leans toward sectors like Finance, Technology and Healthcare. Meanwhile, ESML focuses on Finance, Healthcare and Technology.

What are the top holdings of the BFOR ETF and ESML ETF?

BFOR top holdings include Dell Technologies, Inc., Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and Marvell Technology, Inc.. ESML holds in its top three: Moderna, Inc., Assurant, Inc. and US Foods Holding Corp..

BFORvsESMLETF Comparison

BARRON’S 400 ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF

BFOR vs ESML performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

Get all the metrics on this page, and more, through a reliable ETF data feed

Countries

Sectors

Diversification

Top 15 holdings

How have the BFOR and ESML ETFs performed in 2026?

As of October 16, 2026, BFOR is up 12.94% year-to-date (YTD), while ESML has returned 13.73%. That puts ESML better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: BFOR or ESML?

Year-to-date, the BFOR ETF saw +$19M in flows, compared to +$374M for ESML.

Which ETF is more volatile: BFOR or ESML?

Over the past year, BFOR had a volatility of 13.86%, while ESML experienced 16.42%.

Which ETF is bigger: BFOR or ESML?

As of October 16, 2026, BFOR holds $231.24 M in assets under management (AUM), while ESML manages $2.69 B.

What sectors do the BFOR and ESML ETFs invest in?

BFOR leans toward sectors like Finance, Technology and Healthcare. Meanwhile, ESML focuses on Finance, Healthcare and Technology.

What are the top holdings of the BFOR ETF and ESML ETF?

BFOR top holdings include Dell Technologies, Inc., Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and Marvell Technology, Inc.. ESML holds in its top three: Moderna, Inc., Assurant, Inc. and US Foods Holding Corp..

Which ETF is more diversified: BFOR or ESML?

BFOR holds 396 securities with 6.95% of its assets in the top 15. ESML has 910 securities and a top 15 weight of 6.06%.

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