SMMDvsESMLETF Comparison

ETF 1

SMMD

iShares Russell 2500 ETF

This fund is part of

US Multi-Factor

-0.03%

Full SMMD fund page

ETF 2

ESML

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF

This fund is part of

US Small Cap

-0.43%

Full ESML fund page

iShares Russell 2500 ETF (SMMD) belongs to the US Multi-Factor segment. iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF (ESML) is part of the US Small Cap segment. SMMD's top 3 sector exposures are Finance, Healthcare and Industrials. In contrast, ESML's top sector exposures are Finance, Technology and Healthcare. SMMD is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.23%, versus 0.17% for ESML. SMMD is up 17.26% year-to-date (YTD) with +$1.49B in YTD flows. ESML performs worse with 15.98% YTD performance, and +$411M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of SMMD 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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SMMD vs ESML performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

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Data Services

Historic performance and flows

Data as of 09/18/2026

		1M	3M	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y
Perf.	SMMD ESML	-4.67%-4.66%	-3.03%-2.66%	+17.26%+15.98%	+18.17%+17.02%	+62.01%+58.51%	+46.63%+45.31%
Flows	SMMD ESML	+$474M+$7M	+$703M+$9M	+$1.49B+$411M	+$1.95B+$407M	+$2.57B+$632M	+$3.06B+$1.09B

Volatility and drawdown

		3M	1Y	3Y	5Y
Volatility	SMMD ESML	+12.80%+13.99%	+17.41%+16.76%	+19.36%+19.64%	+20.94%+21.22%
Max drawdown	SMMD ESML	-6.52%-6.39%	-9.48%-9.05%	-25.55%-26.61%	-28.20%-28.52%
Max drawdown duration	SMMD ESML	33d33d	43d46d	283d296d	980d980d

Trading data

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	SMMD	ESML
Last sale 9/21/2026 at 1:30 PM	$87.52	$53.33
Previous close 09/18/2026	$86.97	$52.95
Consolidated volume 09/18/2026
Average volume 30 days
Average discount or premium 30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days

Replication quality

Data as of August 31, 2026

1-year trailing difference

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

Main metrics

Last update 9/21/2026 at 1:30 PM

Live

Closed

	SMMD	ESML
Last price	$87.52	$53.33
1D performance	+0.63%	+0.72%
AuM	$4.09 B	$2.78 B
E/R	0.23%	0.17%

Characteristics

	SMMD	ESML
Management strategy	Passive	Passive
Provider	iShares	iShares
Benchmark	Russell 2500 Index	MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index
N° of holdings	2449	901
Asset class	Equities	Equities
Trailing 12m distribution yield	Join	Join
Inception date	July 6, 2017	April 10, 2018
ESG	No	Yes

More SMMD data on Trackinsight

More ESML data on Trackinsight

Exposure

Countries

SMMD

USA

95.29%

Other

4.71%

ESML

USA

96.59%

Other

3.41%

Sectors

SMMD

Finance

25.19%

Healthcare

14.82%

Industrials

14.07%

Technology

12.73%

Non-Energy Materi.

8.03%

Other

25.16%

ESML

Finance

22.56%

Technology

16.47%

Healthcare

14.46%

Industrials

13.98%

Other

32.53%

Diversification

SMMD

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

4.49%

ESML

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

7.94%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of July 31, 2026

SMMD

ATI, Inc.

0.34%

BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury

0.33%

Carpenter Technology Corp.

0.33%

nVent Electric Plc

0.32%

US Foods Holding Corp.

0.30%

F5, Inc.

0.30%

Packaging Corporation of America

0.29%

NiSource, Inc.

0.29%

Tenet Healthcare Corp.

0.29%

Woodward, Inc.

0.29%

SoFi Technologies, Inc.

0.28%

Snap-On, Inc.

0.28%

Viatris, Inc.

0.28%

Affirm Holdings, Inc.

0.28%

Reliance, Inc.

0.28%

ESML

Sandisk Corp.

2.76%

US Foods Holding Corp.

0.55%

Assurant, Inc.

0.50%

Ovintiv, Inc.

0.43%

ATI, Inc.

0.40%

Carpenter Technology Corp.

0.39%

nVent Electric Plc

0.37%

Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.

0.36%

Woodward, Inc.

0.33%

BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury

0.32%

Equitable Holdings, Inc.

0.31%

Healthpeak Properties, Inc.

0.31%

Moderna, Inc.

0.31%

Brixmor Property Group, Inc.

0.31%

East West Bancorp, Inc.

0.31%

Frequently asked questions about SMMD and ESML

How have the SMMD and ESML ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 18, 2026, SMMD is up 17.26% year-to-date (YTD), while ESML has returned 15.98%. That puts SMMD better performer ahead so far this year.

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

Year-to-date, the SMMD ETF saw +$1.49B in flows, compared to +$411M for ESML.

Which ETF is more volatile: SMMD or ESML?

Over the past year, SMMD had a volatility of 17.41%, while ESML experienced 16.76%.

Which ETF is bigger: SMMD or ESML?

As of September 18, 2026, SMMD holds $4.09 B in assets under management (AUM), while ESML manages $2.78 B.

What sectors do the SMMD and ESML ETFs invest in?

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

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

SMMD top holdings include ATI, Inc., BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury and Carpenter Technology Corp.. ESML holds in its top three: Sandisk Corp., US Foods Holding Corp. and Assurant, Inc..

SMMDvsESMLETF Comparison

iShares Russell 2500 ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF

SMMD 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 SMMD and ESML ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 18, 2026, SMMD is up 17.26% year-to-date (YTD), while ESML has returned 15.98%. That puts SMMD better performer ahead so far this year.

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

Year-to-date, the SMMD ETF saw +$1.49B in flows, compared to +$411M for ESML.

Which ETF is more volatile: SMMD or ESML?

Over the past year, SMMD had a volatility of 17.41%, while ESML experienced 16.76%.

Which ETF is bigger: SMMD or ESML?

As of September 18, 2026, SMMD holds $4.09 B in assets under management (AUM), while ESML manages $2.78 B.

What sectors do the SMMD and ESML ETFs invest in?

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

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

SMMD top holdings include ATI, Inc., BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury and Carpenter Technology Corp.. ESML holds in its top three: Sandisk Corp., US Foods Holding Corp. and Assurant, Inc..

Which ETF is more diversified: SMMD or ESML?

SMMD holds 2468 securities with 4.49% of its assets in the top 15. ESML has 904 securities and a top 15 weight of 7.94%.

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