ISCG vs. DGRO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO).

ISCG and DGRO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ISCG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index. It was launched on Jun 28, 2004. DGRO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. It was launched on Jun 10, 2014. Both ISCG and DGRO 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

ISCG vs. DGRO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ISCG vs. DGRO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ISCG iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF	-1.05%	12.88%	13.35%	23.13%	-26.75%	-1.26%	43.41%	27.66%	-6.91%	24.68%
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	1.57%	15.69%	16.62%	10.47%	-7.91%	26.64%	9.50%	29.87%	-2.38%	23.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ISCG achieves a -1.05% return, which is significantly lower than DGRO's 1.57% return. Over the past 10 years, ISCG has underperformed DGRO with an annualized return of 10.56%, while DGRO has yielded a comparatively higher 12.81% annualized return.

ISCG

• 1D: 3.44%
• 1M: -6.67%
• YTD: -1.05%
• 6M: 1.24%
• 1Y: 22.45%
• 3Y*: 12.87%
• 5Y*: 2.31%
• 10Y*: 10.56%

DGRO

• 1D: 1.74%
• 1M: -4.56%
• YTD: 1.57%
• 6M: 4.23%
• 1Y: 16.09%
• 3Y*: 14.59%
• 5Y*: 10.13%
• 10Y*: 12.81%

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

ISCG vs. DGRO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ISCG has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is lower than DGRO's 0.08% 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%.

DGRO

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

ISCG

iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF

Return for Risk

ISCG vs. DGRO — Risk / Return Rank

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

ISCG

ISCG Risk / Return Rank: 61
ISCG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
ISCG Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
ISCG Omega Ratio Rank: 55
ISCG Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
ISCG Martin Ratio Rank: 66

DGRO

DGRO Risk / Return Rank: 69
DGRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
DGRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
DGRO Omega Ratio Rank: 70
DGRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
DGRO Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

ISCG vs. DGRO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). 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.

	ISCG	DGRO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.97	1.12	-0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.50	1.63	-0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.24	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.58	1.58	-0.01
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.35	7.35	-1.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ISCG vs. DGRO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ISCG Sharpe Ratio is 0.97, which is comparable to the DGRO Sharpe Ratio of 1.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ISCG and DGRO, 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

	ISCG	DGRO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.97	1.12	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10	0.74	-0.64
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.46	0.77	-0.31
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.38	0.73	-0.35

Correlation

The correlation between ISCG and DGRO 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

ISCG vs. DGRO - Dividend Comparison

ISCG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.64%, less than DGRO's 2.10% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ISCG iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF	0.64%	0.61%	0.84%	0.77%	0.92%	0.62%	0.10%	0.27%	0.40%	0.52%	1.19%	0.64%
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	2.10%	2.09%	2.26%	2.45%	2.34%	1.93%	2.30%	2.21%	2.44%	2.03%	2.27%	2.52%

Drawdowns

ISCG vs. DGRO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ISCG drawdown since its inception was -57.72%, which is greater than DGRO's maximum drawdown of -35.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ISCG and DGRO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ISCG	DGRO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-57.72%	-35.10%	-22.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.09%	-10.92%	-3.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.80%	-19.31%	-18.49%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.48%	-35.10%	-6.38%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.39%	-4.73%	-3.66%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.71%	-3.48%	-8.23%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.50%	2.35%	+1.15%

Volatility

ISCG vs. DGRO - Volatility Comparison

iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) has a higher volatility of 7.39% compared to iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) at 3.66%. This indicates that ISCG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DGRO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ISCG	DGRO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.39%	3.66%	+3.73%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.01%	7.22%	+6.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.33%	14.50%	+8.83%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.98%	13.84%	+9.14%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.12%	16.63%	+6.49%