iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF
$49.73+0.07 (+0.13%)
- 0.26%
- $1.4B
- +1.4%
- 2.83%
- 0.2M sh
- $49.65
- low $49.48high $50.79
The ETF.net MEAR Grade
B
Score 66 out of 100
- 11 of 28
Score 66 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.C43 out of 100Rank 14 of 28Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A100 out of 100Rank 1 of 27Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.C51 out of 100Rank 12 of 27Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A74 out of 100Rank 4 of 28Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.B59 out of 100Rank 12 of 28Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A83 out of 100Rank 3 of 28
Our read on MEAR
BActive muni investing at the short end. Since 2015, iShares has hand-picked roughly 300 short-term municipal bonds here, chasing income exempt from federal tax and the AMT in a corner of the market most rivals index.
The Fund seeks to maximize tax-free current income through active management of short-term municipal securities. It generally invests at least 80% of assets in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from U.S. federal income tax and the federal AMT.
Why people hold it
- Costs 0.26% a year, below the typical muni ETF, and that buys a manager picking bonds rather than a rulebook.
- At least 80% of assets sit in bonds whose interest is exempt from federal income tax and the federal AMT, spread across about 300 positions.ishares.com
- Short maturities mean milder price swings when rates move than long-dated muni portfolios face.
- A multi-billion-dollar fund that changes hands steadily, which tends to keep bid-ask costs contained.
Worth knowing
- Index muni funds go far cheaper: VTEB at 0.03% and MUB at 0.05%. Active security selection is the thing you are paying the difference for.
- No index to check the work against. Outcomes ride on the manager's credit and maturity calls.
- Payouts land on an irregular schedule, and the tax break is federal. State and local taxes can still apply.
MEAR Holdings
- Bonds
- 354
- 16%
- St James Parish La Rev 11/01/2040
Sectors
- Municipal Debt74.1%
- Variable Rate Demand Note24.8%
- Floating Rate1.1%
- Investment Company0.0%
Geography
- United States100.00%
MEAR Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
MEAR$10,138
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 | MEAR |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +0.8% |
| 1 month | −0.3% |
| 3 months | −0.4% |
| 1 year | +1.4% |
| 3 years | +3.1% |
| 5 years | +2.4% |
| 10 years | +1.7% |
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 | MEAR |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +0.8% | |
| 2025 | +3.8% | |
| 2024 | +3.4% | |
| 2023 | +3.9% | |
| 2022 | +0.1% | |
| 2021 | +0.1% | |
| 2020 | +1.2% |
MEAR in the news
MEAR Dividends
- 2.83%
- $1.41
- $0.12 per share
- Monthly
Distribution history
MEAR Risk
- 1.0%
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.
- −1.50
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.
- −1.1%
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.
- 0.10
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
MEAR Cost
0.26%
MEAR0.26%
- The middle half of Short-Duration Municipal Bonds funds
- Median 0.25%
17 of the 27 Short-Duration Municipal Bonds funds charge less.
Other funds in Short-Duration Municipal Bonds
- ASMBVanEck Short Muni ETFExpense ratio 0.07%1 year return +0.5%
- BEVSMEaton Vance Short Duration Municipal Income ETFExpense ratio 0.19%1 year return +0.7%
- BCGSMCapital Group Short Duration Municipal Income ETFExpense ratio 0.25%1 year return +0.9%
- BFTMSFranklin Short-Term Municipal Income ETFExpense ratio 0.22%1 year return —
- BFUMBFirst Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETFExpense ratio 0.29%1 year return +2.0%