iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF
$52.45−0.01 (−0.02%)
- 0.17%
- $2.7B
- +20.6%
- 0.96%
- 0.2M sh
- $52.72
- low $42.87high $56.75
The ETF.net ESML Grade
B
Score 68 out of 100
- 12 of 48
Score 68 of 100 falls in the B band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.B62 out of 100Rank 18 of 48Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A94 out of 100Rank 21 of 43Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.D30 out of 100Rank 44 of 48Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.B63 out of 100Rank 14 of 48Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.A84 out of 100Rank 2 of 48Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A80 out of 100Rank 5 of 48
Our read on ESML
BMost ESG funds stop at the S&P 500. ESML takes the same iShares screen down the cap ladder: roughly 900 smaller US companies, ranked on ESG profile, at a price below the category median.
The fund seeks to track an index of small-cap U.S. companies with favorable ESG profiles, aiming to provide ESG-focused core equity exposure.
Why people hold it
- Small-cap ESG is a thin shelf. The other top-graded names in the category (SNPE, EFIV, XVV) are S&P 500 builds; ESML fishes in the part of the market they skip.
- 0.17% a year, under the 0.25% category median, for an index that holds roughly 900 names rather than a short list of screen survivors.
- Live since 2018, now a multi-billion-dollar fund paying quarterly, and one of the stronger implementations in its ESG peer group.
Worth knowing
- These are small companies, so the ride is bumpier than the S&P 500-based ESG funds sitting next to it in the category.
- MSCI does the judging. The Extended ESG Focus index scores and re-weights companies rather than simply banning industries, so the holdings may not match your own definition.
- Volume is moderate, not the constant flow of the big large-cap ESG names, which matters more on large or hurried orders.
ESML Holdings
- Stocks
- 909
- 5%
- MRNA
Sectors
- Industrials17.9%
- Information Technology16.6%
- Health Care15.4%
- Financials14.7%
- Consumer Discretionary10.4%
- Real Estate6.2%
- Energy5.2%
- Materials4.8%
- Consumer Staples3.6%
- Utilities3.0%
- Communication2.3%
Geography
- United States96.33%
- Bermuda0.76%
- Ireland0.73%
- United Kingdom0.66%
- Puerto Rico0.49%
- Canada0.38%
- Switzerland0.24%
- France0.13%
- 0.27%
ESML Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
Not enough history yet.
ESML$12,057
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | ESML |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +14.9% |
| 1 month | −2.2% |
| 3 months | −3.8% |
| 1 year | +20.6% |
| 3 years | +18.3% |
| 5 years | +7.1% |
| 10 years | — |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | ESML |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +14.9% | |
| 2025 | +10.6% | |
| 2024 | +12.0% | |
| 2023 | +17.3% | |
| 2022 | −17.3% | |
| 2021 | +19.3% | |
| 2020 | +19.6% |
ESML in the news
ESML Dividends
- 0.96%
- $0.50
- $0.15 per share
- Quarterly
Distribution history
ESML Risk
- 18.1%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 0.71
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −28.6%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 1.07
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
ESML Cost
0.17%
ESML0.17%
- The middle half of US ESG & Values Index funds
- Median 0.23%
18 of the 48 US ESG & Values Index funds charge less.
Other funds in US ESG & Values Index
- ASUSLiShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETFExpense ratio 0.10%1 year return +22.0%
- BCVLCCalvert US Large-Cap Core Responsible Index ETFExpense ratio 0.15%1 year return +20.8%
- BPABUiShares Paris-Aligned Climate Optimized MSCI USA ETFExpense ratio 0.10%1 year return +14.7%
- BNULVNuveen ESG Large-Cap ValueExpense ratio 0.26%1 year return +28.6%
- BPTLInspire 500 ETFExpense ratio 0.09%1 year return +14.9%