IQ Candriam U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (IQSM) belongs to the Mid Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with IQSM. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IQSM
IQSM charges 0.15% annually. There are 12 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | 0.03% | 18.07B | Nov 2005 | IQSM vs SPMD | |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF | 0.03% | 218.80B | Jan 2004 | IQSM vs VO | |
| iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 1.81B | Jun 2004 | IQSM vs IMCB | |
| Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 14.96B | Jan 2011 | IQSM vs SCHM | |
| Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 0.05% | 93.70B | Dec 2001 | IQSM vs VXF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IQSM
IQSM has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 50. There are 38 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 93.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 93 | — | Jun 2025 | IQSM vs CTEF | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 92 | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | IQSM vs OPTZ | |
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 91 | 214.80M | Dec 2006 | IQSM vs CSD | |
| Pacer US Export Leaders ETF | 79 | 51.51M | Jul 2018 | IQSM vs PEXL | |
| iShares MSCI Peru ETF | 76 | 548.10M | Jun 2009 | IQSM vs EPU |
Top Performing IQSM Alternatives (YTD)
IQSM is at 11.70% YTD. There are 45 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 44.05%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 44.05% | 214.80M | Dec 2006 | IQSM vs CSD | |
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 36.91% | — | Jun 2025 | IQSM vs CTEF | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 32.54% | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | IQSM vs OPTZ | |
| Vanguard U.S. Momentum Factor ETF | 25.84% | 1.70B | Feb 2018 | IQSM vs VFMO | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 25.79% | 337.34M | Nov 2023 | IQSM vs CPAI |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IQSM
IQSM has 15.24% 1-year volatility. There are 41 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.89%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | 8.89% | 426.50M | Feb 2018 | IQSM vs VFMV | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | 9.86% | 95.10M | May 2003 | IQSM vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | 9.86% | 99.32M | May 2003 | IQSM vs BMVP | |
| ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF | 9.98% | 185.97M | May 2020 | IQSM vs SIXL | |
| Indexperts Quality Earnings Focused ETF | 11.15% | 34.97M | Dec 2024 | IQSM vs QIDX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IQSM
IQSM has a 1-year max drawdown of -8.86%. There are 33 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | -6.00% | 426.50M | Feb 2018 | IQSM vs VFMV | |
| RiverNorth Patriot ETF | -6.25% | 4.01M | Feb 2022 | IQSM vs FLDZ | |
| SRH U.S. Quality ETF | -6.31% | 170.62M | Oct 2022 | IQSM vs SRHQ | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | -6.45% | 95.10M | May 2003 | IQSM vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | -6.45% | 99.32M | May 2003 | IQSM vs BMVP |
Other ETFs from IndexIQ
The 6 most viewed IndexIQ ETFs shown here include MMCA, IQHI, WRND and span 6 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $205M.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IQ MacKay California Municipal Intermediate ETF | Municipal Bonds | 67 | 1.16% | 78.67M | Dec 2021 | IQSM vs MMCA | |
| IQ MacKay ESG High Income ETF | High Yield Bonds | 63 | 1.91% | 113.42M | Oct 2022 | IQSM vs IQHI | |
| IQ Global Equity R&D Leaders ETF | Global Equities | 57 | 11.07% | 8.84M | Feb 2022 | IQSM vs WRND | |
| IQ CBRE Real Assets ETF | REIT | 35 | 8.27% | 6.52M | May 2023 | IQSM vs IQRA | |
| IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 44 | 5.96% | 204.53M | Feb 2022 | IQSM vs LRND | |
| IQ MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF | Intermediate Core-Plus Bond | — | — | 172.11M | Jun 2021 | IQSM vs ESGB |
Often Compared With IQSM
Investors most often compare IQSM with VOT, FSMDX, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IQSM with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IQSM with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IQSM with funds that move differently
IQ Candriam U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IQSM.
Explore IQSM Diversifiers