iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF
$84.90−0.09 (−0.11%)
- 0.15%
- $4.2B
- +19.5%
- 1.00%
- 0.2M sh
- $85.34
- low $70.00high $90.74
The ETF.net SMLF Grade
A
Score 74 out of 100
- 15 of 99
Score 74 of 100 falls in the A 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.A84 out of 100Rank 12 of 99Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A92 out of 100Rank 22 of 86Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.D25 out of 100Rank 86 of 97Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.B68 out of 100Rank 19 of 99Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.A76 out of 100Rank 20 of 98Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A88 out of 100Rank 6 of 99
Our read on SMLF
AFour factors (value, quality, momentum, low volatility) applied to roughly 900 U.S. small caps for 0.15% a year. Small-cap factor investing at a plain-index price, from the biggest ETF shop on the street.
The Fund tracks an index of U.S. small-cap stocks selected for favorable exposure to style factors under constraints. Its rules-based index targets momentum, quality, value, and low volatility while controlling industry exposure, turnover, and risk relative to the parent index.
Why people hold it
- 0.15% a year, less than half the typical fee in its multifactor peer group. The tilts aren't being eaten by the price of admission.
- Roughly 900 small caps picked on value, quality, momentum and low volatility, with industry weights, turnover and risk held close to the parent index. Tilts, not bets.ishares.com
- Trading since 2015 and now a billion-dollar-plus fund: one of the strongest implementations in a multifactor field that leans heavily large-cap.
- Rules-based and index-tracked, so the portfolio follows a published methodology rather than a manager's mood. Pays out quarterly.
Worth knowing
- Small caps swing harder than blue chips. The low-volatility screen softens the ride; it doesn't flatten it.
- Stacking four factors means the holdings rarely look like a plain small-cap index, so results can drift from it in either direction for long stretches.
- Moderately traded rather than a tape heavyweight, so spreads deserve a glance before you hit the button.
SMLF Holdings
- Stocks
- 942
- 9%
- KURA
Sectors
- Industrials19.5%
- Information Technology16.9%
- Financials15.8%
- Health Care13.9%
- Consumer Discretionary11.3%
- Real Estate5.2%
- Energy4.6%
- Materials4.2%
- Communication3.1%
- Consumer Staples3.0%
- Utilities2.5%
Geography
- United States92.50%
- United Kingdom1.79%
- Bermuda1.51%
- Puerto Rico0.96%
- Israel0.78%
- Ireland0.61%
- Brazil0.57%
- Switzerland0.38%
- 0.91%
SMLF Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
SMLF$11,946
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 | SMLF |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +14.3% |
| 1 month | −1.1% |
| 3 months | −2.7% |
| 1 year | +19.5% |
| 3 years | +20.1% |
| 5 years | +10.8% |
| 10 years | +11.8% |
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 | SMLF |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +14.3% | |
| 2025 | +12.3% | |
| 2024 | +16.3% | |
| 2023 | +20.0% | |
| 2022 | −12.2% | |
| 2021 | +26.5% | |
| 2020 | +8.4% |
SMLF in the news
SMLF Dividends
- 1.00%
- $0.85
- $0.21 per share
- Quarterly
Distribution history
SMLF Risk
- 17.8%
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.
- 0.80
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.
- −26.3%
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.
- 1.09
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
SMLF Cost
0.15%
SMLF0.15%
- The middle half of US Multifactor funds
- Median 0.30%
11 of the 99 US Multifactor funds charge less.
Other funds in US Multifactor
- AIJKiShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETFExpense ratio 0.16%1 year return +20.0%
- AFSMDFidelity Small-Mid Multifactor ETFExpense ratio 0.15%1 year return +19.4%
- AQVMLInvesco S&P 500 QVM Multi-factor ETFExpense ratio 0.11%1 year return +20.7%
- AONEOState Street SPDR Russell 1000 Momentum Focus ETFExpense ratio 0.20%1 year return +23.0%
- ATILTNorthern Trust Morningstar US Market Factor Tilt ETFExpense ratio 0.26%1 year return +20.6%