IQSU vs. ESGD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about IQ Candriam ESG U.S. Equity ETF (IQSU) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD).

IQSU and ESGD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IQSU is a passively managed fund by New York Life that tracks the performance of the IQ Candriam ESG US Equity Index. It was launched on Dec 17, 2019. ESGD is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE Extended ESG Focus Index. It was launched on Jun 28, 2016. Both IQSU and ESGD are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

IQSU vs. ESGD - Performance Comparison

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

IQSU vs. ESGD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
IQSU IQ Candriam ESG U.S. Equity ETF	-6.24%	14.44%	16.64%	32.96%	-22.10%	30.53%	28.24%	1.24%
ESGD iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF	0.56%	29.63%	3.95%	18.53%	-15.17%	11.79%	8.20%	0.50%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IQSU achieves a -6.24% return, which is significantly lower than ESGD's 0.56% return.

IQSU

• 1D: 2.68%
• 1M: -5.86%
• YTD: -6.24%
• 6M: -3.19%
• 1Y: 14.21%
• 3Y*: 14.56%
• 5Y*: 9.77%
• 10Y*: —

ESGD

• 1D: 3.29%
• 1M: -8.25%
• YTD: 0.56%
• 6M: 4.79%
• 1Y: 21.50%
• 3Y*: 13.70%
• 5Y*: 7.69%
• 10Y*: —

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

IQSU vs. ESGD - Expense Ratio Comparison

IQSU has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than ESGD's 0.20% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

ESGD

iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF

IQSU

IQ Candriam ESG U.S. Equity ETF

Return for Risk

IQSU vs. ESGD — Risk / Return Rank

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

IQSU

IQSU Risk / Return Rank: 44
IQSU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
IQSU Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
IQSU Omega Ratio Rank: 44
IQSU Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
IQSU Martin Ratio Rank: 49

ESGD

ESGD Risk / Return Rank: 71
ESGD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ESGD Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
ESGD Omega Ratio Rank: 70
ESGD Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
ESGD Martin Ratio Rank: 70

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.

IQSU vs. ESGD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IQ Candriam ESG U.S. Equity ETF (IQSU) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD). 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.

	IQSU	ESGD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.72	1.22	-0.49
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.16	1.75	-0.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.25	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.12	1.75	-0.63
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.69	6.75	-2.06
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IQSU vs. ESGD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IQSU Sharpe Ratio is 0.72, which is lower than the ESGD Sharpe Ratio of 1.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IQSU and ESGD, 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

	IQSU	ESGD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.72	1.22	-0.49
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.55	0.47	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.64	0.53	+0.11

Correlation

The correlation between IQSU and ESGD is 0.73, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

IQSU vs. ESGD - Dividend Comparison

IQSU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.17%, less than ESGD's 3.58% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
IQSU IQ Candriam ESG U.S. Equity ETF	1.17%	1.09%	1.12%	1.15%	1.47%	1.07%	0.98%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ESGD iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF	3.58%	3.60%	3.23%	3.02%	2.59%	2.75%	1.63%	2.57%	2.69%	2.65%	0.09%

Drawdowns

IQSU vs. ESGD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IQSU drawdown since its inception was -31.29%, smaller than the maximum ESGD drawdown of -33.70%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IQSU and ESGD.

Drawdown Indicators

	IQSU	ESGD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-31.29%	-33.70%	+2.41%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.29%	-11.68%	-1.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.76%	-30.03%	+3.27%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.80%	-8.42%	-0.38%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.12%	-6.25%	+0.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.18%	3.03%	+0.15%

Volatility

IQSU vs. ESGD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for IQ Candriam ESG U.S. Equity ETF (IQSU) is 5.27%, while iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) has a volatility of 7.99%. This indicates that IQSU experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ESGD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IQSU	ESGD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.27%	7.99%	-2.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.65%	11.29%	-1.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.72%	17.75%	+1.97%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.84%	16.45%	+1.39%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.82%	16.94%	+3.88%