SAEF vs. SIXL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) and ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL).

SAEF and SIXL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SAEF is an actively managed fund by Charles Schwab. It was launched on Nov 15, 2021. SIXL is an actively managed fund by Exchange Traded Concepts. It was launched on May 11, 2020.

Performance

SAEF vs. SIXL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) and ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SAEF vs. SIXL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
SAEF Schwab Ariel ESG ETF	0.10%	2.31%	16.14%	17.87%	-18.29%	-2.35%
SIXL ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF	4.48%	-0.61%	14.13%	2.38%	-7.49%	2.43%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SAEF achieves a 0.10% return, which is significantly lower than SIXL's 4.48% return.

SAEF

• 1D: 3.37%
• 1M: -8.16%
• YTD: 0.10%
• 6M: -1.45%
• 1Y: 12.83%
• 3Y*: 9.45%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SIXL

• 1D: 0.42%
• 1M: -4.69%
• YTD: 4.48%
• 6M: 2.87%
• 1Y: 2.42%
• 3Y*: 7.20%
• 5Y*: 4.17%
• 10Y*: —

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

SAEF vs. SIXL - Expense Ratio Comparison

SAEF has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is higher than SIXL's 0.47% expense ratio.

SAEF

Schwab Ariel ESG ETF

SIXL

ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF

Return for Risk

SAEF vs. SIXL — Risk / Return Rank

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

SAEF

SAEF Risk / Return Rank: 30
SAEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
SAEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
SAEF Omega Ratio Rank: 29
SAEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
SAEF Martin Ratio Rank: 28

SIXL

SIXL Risk / Return Rank: 17
SIXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
SIXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
SIXL Omega Ratio Rank: 15
SIXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
SIXL Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

SAEF vs. SIXL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) and ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL). 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.

	SAEF	SIXL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.54	0.20	+0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.92	0.36	+0.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.05	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.86	0.37	+0.49
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.36	1.19	+1.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SAEF vs. SIXL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SAEF Sharpe Ratio is 0.54, which is higher than the SIXL Sharpe Ratio of 0.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SAEF and SIXL, 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

	SAEF	SIXL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.54	0.20	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.34	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.12	0.66	-0.53

Correlation

The correlation between SAEF and SIXL 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

SAEF vs. SIXL - Dividend Comparison

SAEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.38%, less than SIXL's 2.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
SAEF Schwab Ariel ESG ETF	0.38%	0.38%	0.46%	0.46%	0.61%	0.09%	0.00%
SIXL ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF	2.37%	2.31%	1.28%	1.48%	1.45%	0.67%	0.40%

Drawdowns

SAEF vs. SIXL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SAEF drawdown since its inception was -28.05%, which is greater than SIXL's maximum drawdown of -16.08%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAEF and SIXL.

Drawdown Indicators

	SAEF	SIXL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.05%	-16.08%	-11.97%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.75%	-8.63%	-6.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-16.08%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.69%	-5.07%	-4.62%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.66%	-4.60%	-6.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.37%	2.66%	+2.71%

Volatility

SAEF vs. SIXL - Volatility Comparison

Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) has a higher volatility of 7.20% compared to ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL) at 3.02%. This indicates that SAEF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SIXL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SAEF	SIXL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.20%	3.02%	+4.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.34%	6.76%	+7.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.86%	12.15%	+11.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.51%	12.14%	+9.37%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.51%	12.64%	+8.87%