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ESGD vs. ESGU
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ESGD vs. ESGU

Last updated Aug 5, 2026
Documentation

ESGD (iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF) and ESGU (iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ESGD is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI EAFE Extended ESG Focus Index, while ESGU is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ESGD returned 8.96%/yr vs 12.19%/yr for ESGU. Their 0.75 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. ESGD charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for ESGU.

Performance

ESGD vs. ESGU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with ESGD having a 13.66% return and ESGU slightly higher at 14.04%.

ESGD

1D
1.28%
1M
2.97%
6M
7.57%
YTD
13.66%
1Y
24.93%
3Y*
17.40%
5Y*
8.96%
10Y*
9.73%
ALL TIME*
10.02%

ESGU

1D
1.80%
1M
3.49%
6M
13.43%
YTD
14.04%
1Y
23.73%
3Y*
21.18%
5Y*
12.19%
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
15.47%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

ESGD

iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF
$32.59M$25.13M$29.59M

ESGU

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF
$82.96M$59.56M$72.03M

ESGD vs. ESGU - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
ESGD
iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF		13.66%29.63%3.95%18.53%-15.17%11.79%8.20%23.12%-13.33%25.10%
ESGU
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF		14.04%16.90%24.31%25.79%-20.27%26.89%22.54%31.72%-4.32%21.07%

Correlation

The correlation between ESGD and ESGU is 0.77, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.77

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.72

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.76

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 6, 2016

0.75

The correlation between ESGD and ESGU has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.72 to 0.77 - a consistent structural relationship.

ESGD vs. ESGU - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
ESGD
ESGU

Financial Services

26.3%
11.6%

Industrials

18.3%
8.7%

Technology

13.6%
38.6%

Healthcare

10.1%
9.5%

Consumer Defensive

6.9%
4.3%

Consumer Cyclical

6.7%
9.0%

Basic Materials

5.0%
1.9%

Communication Services

4.1%
9.2%

Utilities

3.8%
1.9%

Energy

3.4%
3.3%

Real Estate

1.8%
2.0%

Financial Services

ESGD
26.3%
ESGU
11.6%

Industrials

ESGD
18.3%
ESGU
8.7%

Technology

ESGD
13.6%
ESGU
38.6%

Healthcare

ESGD
10.1%
ESGU
9.5%

Consumer Defensive

ESGD
6.9%
ESGU
4.3%

Consumer Cyclical

ESGD
6.7%
ESGU
9.0%

Basic Materials

ESGD
5.0%
ESGU
1.9%

Communication Services

ESGD
4.1%
ESGU
9.2%

Utilities

ESGD
3.8%
ESGU
1.9%

Energy

ESGD
3.4%
ESGU
3.3%

Real Estate

ESGD
1.8%
ESGU
2.0%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF

Often compared with ESGD:
ESGD vs. ESGVESGD vs. DMXFESGD vs. SPYESGD vs. SDGESGD vs. FNIDXESGD vs. INTFESGD vs. VEA
Often compared with ESGU:
ESGU vs. ESGVESGU vs. SPYESGU vs. ESGEESGU vs. SUSAESGU vs. VOOESGU vs. IVVESGU vs. XVV

Return for Risk

ESGD vs. ESGU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
ESGD
ESGD Risk / Return Rank: 5757
Overall Rank
ESGD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5858
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ESGD Sortino Ratio Rank: 5959
Sortino Ratio Rank
ESGD Omega Ratio Rank: 5757
Omega Ratio Rank
ESGD Calmar Ratio Rank: 5353
Calmar Ratio Rank
ESGD Martin Ratio Rank: 6060
Martin Ratio Rank
ESGU
ESGU Risk / Return Rank: 7070
Overall Rank
ESGU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7070
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ESGU Sortino Ratio Rank: 6767
Sortino Ratio Rank
ESGU Omega Ratio Rank: 6868
Omega Ratio Rank
ESGU Calmar Ratio Rank: 6666
Calmar Ratio Rank
ESGU Martin Ratio Rank: 7676
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

ESGD vs. ESGU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

ESGDESGUDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.57
1.82

-0.24

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.25
2.49

-0.24

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.28

1.32

-0.04

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.15

2.58

-0.43

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

8.11

10.84

-2.73

ESGD vs. ESGU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESGD Sharpe Ratio is 1.57, which is comparable to the ESGU Sharpe Ratio of 1.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESGD and ESGU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

ESGD vs. ESGU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESGD drawdown since its inception was -33.70%, roughly equal to the maximum ESGU drawdown of -33.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESGD and ESGU.

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Drawdown Indicators

ESGDESGUDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-33.70%

-33.87%

+0.17%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-11.68%

-9.26%

-2.42%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-13.86%

-19.32%

+5.46%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-30.03%

-26.15%

-3.88%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-33.70%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-6.11%

-4.84%

-1.27%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.08%

2.19%

+0.89%

Volatility

ESGD vs. ESGU - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) has a higher volatility of 4.57% compared to iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) at 4.18%. This indicates that ESGD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ESGU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ESGDESGUDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.57%

4.18%

+0.39%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

13.84%

10.54%

+3.30%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

15.97%

13.21%

+2.76%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

16.76%

17.47%

-0.71%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

17.02%

18.55%

-1.53%

ESGD vs. ESGU - Expense Ratio Comparison

ESGD has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than ESGU's 0.15% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

ESGD vs. ESGU - Dividend Comparison

ESGD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.22%, more than ESGU's 0.91% yield.

PositionTTM2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
ESGD
iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF		3.22%3.60%3.23%3.02%2.59%2.75%1.63%2.57%2.69%2.65%0.09%
ESGU
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF		0.91%0.99%1.18%1.43%1.58%1.06%1.27%1.32%1.73%1.82%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

ESGD and ESGU have a correlation of 0.77, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

ESGD has higher volatility (4.57%) compared to ESGU (4.18%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ESGD dropped -33.70% vs ESGU's -33.87%.

On 5-year performance, ESGU leads with 12.19% vs 8.96% for ESGD. On fees, ESGU is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, ESGU has been the lower-risk option at 4.18%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 5-year period, ESGU has performed better with a 12.19% return vs 8.96%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

ESGU is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for ESGD.

ESGD has the higher dividend yield at 3.22%, compared with 0.91% for ESGU.

ESGD is categorized as Foreign Large Cap Equities, while ESGU is Large Cap Blend Equities. ESGD tracks MSCI EAFE Extended ESG Focus Index, while ESGU tracks MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for ESGD and 0.15% for ESGU.

ESGU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.82 vs 1.57), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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