SCHE vs. SCHA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) and Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA).

SCHE and SCHA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SCHE is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the FTSE All-World Emerging. It was launched on Jan 14, 2010. SCHA is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Total Return Index. It was launched on Nov 3, 2009. Both SCHE and SCHA 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

SCHE vs. SCHA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) and Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SCHE vs. SCHA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SCHE Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF	0.89%	26.54%	10.60%	8.93%	-17.84%	-0.65%	14.49%	20.31%	-13.57%	32.70%
SCHA Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF	3.19%	11.60%	11.16%	18.46%	-19.81%	16.45%	19.34%	26.50%	-11.79%	14.94%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SCHE achieves a 0.89% return, which is significantly lower than SCHA's 3.19% return. Over the past 10 years, SCHE has underperformed SCHA with an annualized return of 7.71%, while SCHA has yielded a comparatively higher 9.94% annualized return.

SCHE

• 1D: 0.27%
• 1M: -5.17%
• YTD: 0.89%
• 6M: 1.12%
• 1Y: 22.64%
• 3Y*: 14.08%
• 5Y*: 3.73%
• 10Y*: 7.71%

SCHA

• 1D: 0.93%
• 1M: -4.33%
• YTD: 3.19%
• 6M: 5.66%
• 1Y: 26.55%
• 3Y*: 13.45%
• 5Y*: 4.49%
• 10Y*: 9.94%

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

SCHE vs. SCHA - Expense Ratio Comparison

SCHE has a 0.11% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHA's 0.04% 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%.

SCHE

Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF

SCHA

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF

Return for Risk

SCHE vs. SCHA — Risk / Return Rank

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

SCHE

SCHE Risk / Return Rank: 69
SCHE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
SCHE Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
SCHE Omega Ratio Rank: 68
SCHE Calmar Ratio Rank: 72
SCHE Martin Ratio Rank: 68

SCHA

SCHA Risk / Return Rank: 67
SCHA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
SCHA Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
SCHA Omega Ratio Rank: 60
SCHA Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
SCHA Martin Ratio Rank: 72

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.

SCHE vs. SCHA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) and Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA). 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.

	SCHE	SCHA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.25	1.16	+0.08
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.78	1.74	+0.04
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.23	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.92	1.87	+0.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.21	7.77	-0.56
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SCHE vs. SCHA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SCHE Sharpe Ratio is 1.25, which is comparable to the SCHA Sharpe Ratio of 1.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SCHE and SCHA, 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

	SCHE	SCHA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.25	1.16	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21	0.21	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.44	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.22	0.53	-0.31

Correlation

The correlation between SCHE and SCHA is 0.66, 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

SCHE vs. SCHA - Dividend Comparison

SCHE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.85%, more than SCHA's 1.16% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SCHE Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF	2.85%	2.88%	3.03%	3.83%	2.88%	2.86%	2.09%	3.27%	2.64%	2.31%	2.27%	2.50%
SCHA Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF	1.16%	1.26%	1.51%	1.42%	1.37%	1.19%	1.05%	1.39%	1.58%	1.24%	1.50%	1.48%

Drawdowns

SCHE vs. SCHA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SCHE drawdown since its inception was -36.20%, smaller than the maximum SCHA drawdown of -42.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCHE and SCHA.

Drawdown Indicators

	SCHE	SCHA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.20%	-42.41%	+6.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.14%	-14.35%	+2.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.77%	-30.79%	-2.98%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.20%	-42.41%	+6.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.15%	-5.41%	-2.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.71%	-7.65%	-5.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.23%	3.45%	-0.22%

Volatility

SCHE vs. SCHA - Volatility Comparison

Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) has a higher volatility of 7.69% compared to Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) at 7.31%. This indicates that SCHE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SCHA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SCHE	SCHA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.69%	7.31%	+0.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.64%	13.72%	-1.08%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.23%	22.90%	-4.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.51%	21.95%	-4.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.42%	22.67%	-3.25%