DIVB vs. SAMT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF (DIVB) and Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT).

DIVB and SAMT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DIVB is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend and Buyback Index. It was launched on Nov 7, 2017. SAMT is an actively managed fund by Strategas. It was launched on Jan 25, 2022.

Performance

DIVB vs. SAMT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF (DIVB) and Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DIVB vs. SAMT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
DIVB iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF	2.14%	15.09%	18.59%	13.27%	-6.72%
SAMT Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF	1.97%	33.10%	28.15%	1.27%	-6.59%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DIVB achieves a 2.14% return, which is significantly higher than SAMT's 1.97% return.

DIVB

• 1D: 1.47%
• 1M: -3.90%
• YTD: 2.14%
• 6M: 4.65%
• 1Y: 14.11%
• 3Y*: 16.30%
• 5Y*: 10.45%
• 10Y*: —

SAMT

• 1D: 2.00%
• 1M: -1.60%
• YTD: 1.97%
• 6M: 6.10%
• 1Y: 35.45%
• 3Y*: 22.13%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DIVB vs. SAMT - Expense Ratio Comparison

DIVB has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than SAMT's 0.66% expense ratio.

SAMT

Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF

DIVB

iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF

Return for Risk

DIVB vs. SAMT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DIVB

DIVB Risk / Return Rank: 54
DIVB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
DIVB Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
DIVB Omega Ratio Rank: 54
DIVB Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
DIVB Martin Ratio Rank: 58

SAMT

SAMT Risk / Return Rank: 91
SAMT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
SAMT Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
SAMT Omega Ratio Rank: 88
SAMT Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
SAMT Martin Ratio Rank: 90

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DIVB vs. SAMT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF (DIVB) and Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DIVB	SAMT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.89	2.01	-1.13
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.28	2.65	-1.37
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.36	-0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.23	4.10	-2.88
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.30	11.61	-6.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DIVB vs. SAMT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DIVB Sharpe Ratio is 0.89, which is lower than the SAMT Sharpe Ratio of 2.01. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DIVB and SAMT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DIVB	SAMT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.89	2.01	-1.13
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.67	0.76	-0.09

Correlation

The correlation between DIVB and SAMT is 0.70, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

DIVB vs. SAMT - Dividend Comparison

DIVB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.51%, more than SAMT's 0.69% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DIVB iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF	2.51%	2.50%	2.61%	3.18%	2.02%	1.63%	2.08%	2.07%	2.52%	0.37%
SAMT Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF	0.69%	0.70%	1.40%	1.49%	0.73%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DIVB vs. SAMT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DIVB drawdown since its inception was -36.93%, which is greater than SAMT's maximum drawdown of -20.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DIVB and SAMT.

Drawdown Indicators

	DIVB	SAMT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.93%	-20.57%	-16.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.59%	-8.76%	-3.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.08%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.96%	-5.78%	+0.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.07%	-8.00%	+2.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.91%	3.10%	-0.19%

Volatility

DIVB vs. SAMT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. Dividend and Buyback ETF (DIVB) is 3.67%, while Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT) has a volatility of 4.97%. This indicates that DIVB experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SAMT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DIVB	SAMT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.67%	4.97%	-1.30%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.49%	11.91%	-3.42%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.02%	17.68%	-1.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.21%	16.78%	-1.57%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.49%	16.78%	+1.71%