iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF (ESML) Performance
ESML total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +15.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +16.7% total return
- 5 years
- +6.5% a year
- Since first price
- +10.1% a year since 2018
ESML trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ESML total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.4% | −0.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −2.1% | −2.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.9% | +3.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +15.4% | +14.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +16.7% | +15.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +73.0%+20.1%/yr | +67.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +37.0%+6.5%/yr | +28.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionApr 12, 2018 | +127.6%+10.1%/yr | +105.3% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: ESML vs SPY
From Apr 12, 2018: ESML grew to $22,763, SPY to $32,503.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ESML returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2019 (+29.1%), worst 2022 (−17.3%). 2026 is year to date.
ESML annual returns table
| Year | ESML | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +15.4% | −9.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +10.6% | −23.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.0% | −8.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.3% | −16.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.3% | −25.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +19.3% | −10.6% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +19.6% | −42.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +29.1% | −8.2% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
ESML largest drawdowns
Now 6.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2020 | −42.0% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 9, 2020 | 2 months | 10 months |
| Nov 8, 2021 | −28.6% | Jun 16, 2022 | Jul 16, 2024 | 7 months | 2.7 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −26.7% | Apr 8, 2025 | Sep 18, 2025 | 4 months | 10 months |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −25.3% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 27, 2019 | 4 months | 1.2 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
ESML risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +17.0% | +7.2% | +10.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 18.1% | 19.7% | 21.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.72 | 0.27 | 0.44 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.20 | 0.42 | 0.65 |
| Best month | +11.1% | +11.1% | +16.4% |
| Worst month | −7.7% | −9.0% | −21.9% |
| Best 12 months | +38.8% | +38.8% | +95.5% |
| Worst 12 months | −3.4% | −20.4% | −23.4% |
| Positive months | 61% | 53% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.15 | 1.07 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.79 | 0.85 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
ESML rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 91 | −23.4% | +9.1% | +95.5% | 70% |
| 3-year (a year) | 67 | −0.8% | +11.0% | +22.6% | 97% |
| 5-year (a year) | 43 | +4.9% | +9.0% | +15.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ESML performance overview
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF (ESML) returned +16.7% over the past year and +6.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +10.1% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,763. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −42.0%, from Jan 16, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. ESML finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+29.1%) and the worst 2022 (−17.3%). Volatility has been 21.3% a year.
Related: ESML chart, ESML holdings, ESML dividends, ESML valuation. See the ESML overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ESML performance FAQ
What is the ESML return over the past year?
ESML returned +16.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 15.5%.
What is the average annual return of ESML?
ESML has returned +6.5% a year over 5 years, +10.1% a year since April 12, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ESML be worth?
$10,000 invested in ESML at its first recorded close on April 12, 2018 would be worth about $22,763 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ESML?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −17.3%. The best was 2019 at +29.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ESML?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −42.0% between January 16, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 9, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is ESML?
Over the past 3 years ESML had an annualized volatility of 18.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.72 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).