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SCEPvsSMAXETF Comparison

ETF 1
SCEP

Sterling Capital Hedged Equity Premium Income ETF

This fund is part of
Options Strategies
-0.49%
VS
ETF 2
SMAX

iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF

This fund is part of
Options Strategies
-0.49%

Sterling Capital Hedged Equity Premium Income ETF (SCEP) and iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF (SMAX) belong to the same industry segment: Options Strategies. SCEP's top 3 sector exposures are Technology, Finance and Consumer Non-Cyclicals. In contrast, SMAX's top sector exposures are Technology, Finance and Healthcare. SCEP is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.65%, versus 0.53% for SMAX. SCEP is up 3.25% year-to-date (YTD) with +$230M in YTD flows. SMAX performs better with 5.2% YTD performance, and -$34M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of SCEP and SMAX 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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SCEP vs SMAX performance and flow charts

Performance

-4.0-3.0-2.0-1.00.01.0%Aug 10Aug 17Aug 24Aug 31Sep 7

Cumulative Flows

-1 M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 MAug 10Aug 17Aug 24Aug 31Sep 7

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Historic performance and flows
Data as of 09/10/2026
1M3MYTD1Y3Y5Y
Perf.
SCEP
SMAX
-3.97%+0.35%
+2.26%+2.41%
+3.25%+5.20%
n/a+7.20%
n/an/a
n/an/a
Flows
SCEP
SMAX
+$4M-$1M
+$6M-$4M
+$230M-$34M
-+$515K
--
--
Volatility and drawdown
3M1Y3Y5Y
Volatility
SCEP
SMAX
+10.99%+2.20%
n/a+2.77%
n/an/a
n/an/a
Max drawdown
SCEP
SMAX
-4.23%-0.49%
n/a-1.93%
n/an/a
n/an/a
Max drawdown duration
SCEP
SMAX
32d14d
n/a44d
n/an/a
n/an/a
Trading data

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SCEP
SMAX
Last sale
9/11/2026 at 1:30 PM
$24.64
$28.33
Previous close
09/10/2026
$24.44
$28.28
Consolidated volume
09/10/2026
Average volume
30 days
Average discount or premium
30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread
30 days
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Main metrics
Last update 9/11/2026 at 1:30 PM
Live
Closed
SCEP
SMAX
Last price
$24.64
$28.33
1D performance
+0.84%
+0.17%
AuM$235.46 M$88.26 M
E/R0.65%0.53%
Characteristics
SCEP
SMAX
Management strategyActiveActive
ProviderSterling Capital Active ETFiShares
Benchmark--
N° of holdings56501
Asset class--
Trailing 12m distribution yield
Join
Join
Inception dateDecember 11, 2025September 30, 2024
ESGNoNo
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Exposure

Countries

SCEP
USA
97.96%
Other
2.04%
SMAX
USA
102.01%
Other
-2.01%

Sectors

SCEP
Technology
45.31%
Finance
13.54%
Consumer Non-Cycl.
10.57%
Industrials
8.28%
Other
22.29%
SMAX
Technology
46.23%
Finance
14.48%
Healthcare
9.28%
Consumer Non-Cycl.
9.23%
Industrials
8.09%
Other
12.68%
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Diversification

SCEP

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

53.35%
SMAX

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

45.4%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of July 31, 2026
SCEP
Apple, Inc.
5.95%
Alphabet, Inc.
5.82%
Broadcom Inc.
5.64%
NVIDIA Corp.
5.58%
Amazon.com, Inc.
5.21%
Microsoft Corp.
4.24%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
3.73%
Parker-Hannifin Corp.
2.56%
Costco Wholesale Corp.
2.39%
Meta Platforms, Inc.
2.15%
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
2.14%
Visa, Inc.
2.06%
The Williams Cos., Inc.
2.02%
Equinix, Inc.
1.95%
Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
1.91%
SMAX
Apple, Inc.
7.90%
NVIDIA Corp.
7.62%
Microsoft Corp.
5.40%
Amazon.com, Inc.
3.72%
Alphabet, Inc.
3.16%
Broadcom Inc.
2.96%
Alphabet, Inc.
2.54%
Meta Platforms, Inc.
1.91%
Micron Technology, Inc.
1.59%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
1.52%
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
1.51%
Eli Lilly & Co.
1.47%
BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury
1.42%
Tesla, Inc.
1.40%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
1.28%
Frequently asked questions about SCEP and SMAX

How have the SCEP and SMAX ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 10, 2026, SCEP is up 3.25% year-to-date (YTD), while SMAX has returned 5.2%. That puts SMAX better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: SCEP or SMAX?

Year-to-date, the SCEP ETF saw +$230M in flows, compared to -$34M for SMAX.

Which ETF is bigger: SCEP or SMAX?

As of September 10, 2026, SCEP holds $235.46 M in assets under management (AUM), while SMAX manages $88.26 M.

What sectors do the SCEP and SMAX ETFs invest in?

SCEP leans toward sectors like Technology, Finance and Consumer Non-Cyclicals. Meanwhile, SMAX focuses on Technology, Finance and Healthcare.

What are the top holdings of the SCEP ETF and SMAX ETF?

SCEP top holdings include Apple, Inc., Alphabet, Inc. and Broadcom Inc.. SMAX holds in its top three: Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp. and Microsoft Corp..

Which ETF is more diversified: SCEP or SMAX?

SCEP holds 56 securities with 53.35% of its assets in the top 15. SMAX has 504 securities and a top 15 weight of 45.4%.

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