VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT) Performance
SMOT total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.5% total return
- 3 years
- +15.5% a year
- Since first price
- +12.5% a year since 2022
SMOT trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | SMOT total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +4.4% | +4.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +3.1% | +3.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.7% | +7.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.4% | +10.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.5% | +9.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +54.1%+15.5%/yr | +49.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 6, 2022 | +61.0%+12.5%/yr | +55.5% | — | — | — |
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: SMOT vs SPY
From Oct 6, 2022: SMOT grew to $16,095, SPY to $21,448.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
SMOT returns by calendar year
3 of 3 full years positive. Best 2023 (+17.3%), worst 2025 (+6.5%). 2026 is year to date.
SMOT annual returns table
| Year | SMOT | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.4% | −9.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +6.5% | −22.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +10.7% | −8.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.3% | −17.3% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
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.
SMOT largest drawdowns
Now 3.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 25, 2024 | −23.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Dec 11, 2025 | 4 months | 1.0 years |
| Jul 19, 2023 | −17.3% | Oct 27, 2023 | Dec 14, 2023 | 3 months | 5 months |
| Feb 2, 2023 | −14.1% | Mar 17, 2023 | Jul 19, 2023 | 43 days | 5 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
SMOT risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | Since 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +10.8% | +10.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 16.4% | 17.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.44 | 0.40 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.66 | 0.64 |
| Best month | +10.1% | +11.9% |
| Worst month | −7.7% | −7.7% |
| Best 12 months | +33.4% | +33.4% |
| Worst 12 months | −2.7% | −2.7% |
| Positive months | 64% | 57% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.05 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.80 | — |
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.
SMOT rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 37 | −2.7% | +10.1% | +33.4% | 95% |
| 3-year (a year) | 13 | +7.9% | +10.8% | +16.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2022. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
SMOT performance overview
VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT) returned +10.5% over the past year, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2022 it has returned +12.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $16,095. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −23.4%, from Nov 25, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. SMOT finished 3 of its 3 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+17.3%) and the worst 2025 (+6.5%). Volatility has been 17.5% a year.
Related: SMOT chart, SMOT holdings, SMOT dividends, SMOT valuation. See the SMOT overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
SMOT performance FAQ
What is the SMOT return over the past year?
SMOT returned +10.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 9.0%.
How much would $10,000 invested in SMOT be worth?
$10,000 invested in SMOT at its first recorded close on October 6, 2022 would be worth about $16,095 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for SMOT?
The worst calendar year was 2025, with a total return of +6.5%. The best was 2023 at +17.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of SMOT?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −23.4% between November 25, 2024 and April 8, 2025. It recovered to the old high on December 11, 2025, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is SMOT?
Over the past 3 years SMOT had an annualized volatility of 16.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.44 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).