BIBL vs ESGU

BIBLCInspire 100 ETF

ESGUAiShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF

In short

BIBL A faith-first pick in an aisle of best-in-class ESG rankings: roughly 100 large US companies that clear Inspire's biblical values screen, which cuts any firm touching abortion, gambling, alcohol, tobacco or pornography.

ESGU Screening out companies is easy; keeping the market's shape while you do it is the hard part. ESGU's index optimizes toward stronger ESG characteristics while targeting risk and return similar to the broad MSCI USA Index.

Stated mandate

BIBL The Fund seeks to track the performance of the Inspire 100 Index before fees and expenses. It generally invests at least 80% of assets in the Index's component securities.

ESGU Seeks to track an index of large- and mid-cap U.S. companies selected for favorable environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics while seeking risk/return similar to the MSCI USA Index.

Why people hold it

• BIBL Bright line, not a ranking: any degree of participation in abortion, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, pornography or rights violations removes a company from the universe outright.sec.gov
• Built as a core sleeve, not a satellite: roughly 100 large US companies, market-cap weighted, with at least 80% of assets in the index's own components.inspireetf.com
• Running since 2017, making it one of the longer-tenured biblically screened US large-cap ETFs and the flagship of the Inspire Impact Score lineup.sec.gov

• ESGU Not a screen-and-drop portfolio: the index optimizes toward better ESG characteristics while targeting risk and return similar to the broad MSCI USA Index.ishares.com
• 0.15% a year, below the typical fund in its US ESG group, spread across roughly 300 large- and mid-cap names rather than a narrow shortlist.
• Running since 2016, a multi-billion-dollar iShares fund that pays quarterly and sits in the top quartile of a crowded US ESG peer group.

Worth knowing

• BIBL Costs 0.35% (0.41% gross, net of a waiver through March 31, 2027), above the category median; broad ESG trackers like XVV at 0.08% and ESGU at 0.15% sit far lower.
• Thinly traded next to the category's giants, so spreads and order type matter more than with the mega-funds.
• Screening out companies that fail the values test means sector mix and results can drift well away from a plain S&P 500 fund, in either direction.sec.gov

• ESGU Cheaper seats in the same row: XVV at 0.08%, ESGV at 0.09%, SNPE and EFIV at 0.10%, against 0.15% here.
• Market-like risk is the stated goal, so exclusions are lighter than a purist ESG fund and the holdings end up looking a lot like the broad US market.ishares.com
• MSCI's ratings decide who makes the cut, so the portfolio reflects one provider's definition of ESG, not an industry standard.ishares.com

Full BIBL profile⁠

Full ESGU profile⁠