Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF (USMC) belongs to the Large Cap Growth Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with USMC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to USMC
USMC charges 0.12% annually. There are 20 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Growth ETF | 0.03% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | USMC vs VUG | |
| iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF | 0.03% | 1.29B | Jun 2004 | USMC vs ILCB | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | 0.04% | 52.75B | Sep 2000 | USMC vs SPYG | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | 0.04% | 60.56B | Dec 2009 | USMC vs SCHG | |
| iShares Morningstar Growth ETF | 0.04% | 3.24B | Jun 2004 | USMC vs ILCG |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to USMC
USMC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 57. There are 50 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 89.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF | 89 | 692.72M | Feb 2015 | USMC vs ROUS | |
| Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF | 87 | 59.00M | Jul 2018 | USMC vs NACP | |
| RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | 86 | 87.62M | Jun 2016 | USMC vs RFDA | |
| PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor U.S. Equity ETF | 86 | 290.05M | Aug 2017 | USMC vs MFUS | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 86 | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | USMC vs DGRO |
Top Performing USMC Alternatives (YTD)
USMC is at 8.85% YTD. There are 109 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 34.03%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMART Earnings Growth ETF | 34.03% | 50.41M | Aug 2025 | USMC vs SGRT | |
| Mango Growth ETF | 30.03% | 239.95M | Dec 2025 | USMC vs GARY | |
| US Vegan Climate ETF | 28.42% | 186.14M | Sep 2019 | USMC vs VEGN | |
| F/m Emerald Special Situations ETF | 27.30% | 29.00M | Aug 2014 | USMC vs SPIT | |
| Invesco S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF | 26.05% | 2.19B | Mar 2006 | USMC vs RPG |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to USMC
USMC has 12.27% 1-year volatility. There are 25 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Alternative ETF | 8.01% | 39.10M | May 2017 | USMC vs CCOR | |
| SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | 9.15% | 1.54B | Apr 2015 | USMC vs QUS | |
| Invesco Dividend Achievers™ ETF | 9.40% | 785.89M | Sep 2005 | USMC vs PFM | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 9.50% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | USMC vs DGRO | |
| T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth ETF | 9.71% | 1.39B | Aug 2020 | USMC vs TDVG |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to USMC
USMC has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.30%. There are 58 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -5.45%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | -5.45% | 87.62M | Jun 2016 | USMC vs RFDA | |
| Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF | -5.97% | 692.72M | Feb 2015 | USMC vs ROUS | |
| PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor U.S. Equity ETF | -6.39% | 290.05M | Aug 2017 | USMC vs MFUS | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | -6.47% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | USMC vs DGRO | |
| SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | -6.85% | 1.54B | Apr 2015 | USMC vs QUS |
Other ETFs from Principal
The 10 most viewed Principal ETFs shown here include PREF, YLD, PSC and span 9 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF | Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds | 65 | 1.94% | 1.70B | Jul 2017 | USMC vs PREF | |
| Principal Active High Yield ETF | High Yield Bonds | 60 | 3.02% | 569.60M | Jul 2015 | USMC vs YLD | |
| Principal U.S. Small Cap Multi-Factor ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities, Multi-factor | 62 | 18.10% | 1.30B | Sep 2016 | USMC vs PSC | |
| Principal Quality ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 15 | 1.11% | 53.80M | Mar 2016 | USMC vs PSET | |
| Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF | Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds | 63 | 1.70% | 69.50M | Jun 2020 | USMC vs PQDI | |
| Principal Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 46 | 7.20% | 124.50M | Mar 2016 | USMC vs PY | |
| Principal Investment Grade Corporate Active ETF | Corporate Bonds | — | — | 133.79M | Apr 2018 | USMC vs IG | |
| Principal Real Estate Active Opportunities ETF | REIT | 31 | 13.96% | 26.50M | May 2022 | USMC vs BYRE | |
| Principal Focused Blue Chip ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 10 | -1.17% | 225.00M | Jul 2023 | USMC vs BCHP | |
| Principal Capital Appreciation Select ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 69 | 12.73% | 194.16M | Mar 2025 | USMC vs LCAP |
Often Compared With USMC
Investors most often compare USMC with SPY, QQQ, JEPQ. These 20 comparison targets span 11 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare USMC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare USMC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair USMC with funds that move differently
Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to USMC.
Explore USMC Diversifiers