SMB vs. MEAR
Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Short Muni ETF (SMB) and iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR).
SMB and MEAR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SMB is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg AMT-Free Short Continuous. It was launched on Feb 22, 2008. MEAR is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Mar 3, 2015.
Performance
SMB vs. MEAR - Performance Comparison
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SMB vs. MEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMB VanEck Short Muni ETF | -0.20% | 4.61% | 2.41% | 3.14% | -4.50% | 0.12% | 3.30% | 4.54% | 1.86% | 1.16% |
MEAR iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 0.47% | 3.76% | 3.40% | 3.93% | 0.10% | 0.05% | 1.18% | 1.91% | 1.63% | 1.12% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SMB achieves a -0.20% return, which is significantly lower than MEAR's 0.47% return. Over the past 10 years, SMB has underperformed MEAR with an annualized return of 1.50%, while MEAR has yielded a comparatively higher 1.74% annualized return.
SMB
- 1D
- 0.06%
- 1M
- -1.00%
- YTD
- -0.20%
- 6M
- 0.64%
- 1Y
- 3.71%
- 3Y*
- 2.99%
- 5Y*
- 1.07%
- 10Y*
- 1.50%
MEAR
- 1D
- 0.12%
- 1M
- -0.31%
- YTD
- 0.47%
- 6M
- 1.07%
- 1Y
- 3.12%
- 3Y*
- 3.50%
- 5Y*
- 2.30%
- 10Y*
- 1.74%
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SMB vs. MEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
SMB has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than MEAR's 0.25% 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%.
Return for Risk
SMB vs. MEAR — Risk / Return Rank
SMB
MEAR
SMB vs. MEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Short Muni ETF (SMB) and iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR). 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.
| SMB | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.58 | 2.71 | -1.13 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.02 | 3.63 | -1.61 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.36 | 1.70 | -0.34 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.29 | 3.69 | -1.40 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.77 | 20.82 | -12.05 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SMB | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.58 | 2.71 | -1.13 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.43 | 2.37 | -1.93 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.35 | 1.15 | -0.80 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.42 | 1.09 | -0.67 |
Correlation
The correlation between SMB and MEAR is 0.14, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
SMB vs. MEAR - Dividend Comparison
SMB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.68%, less than MEAR's 2.87% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMB VanEck Short Muni ETF | 2.43% | 2.63% | 2.38% | 1.83% | 1.32% | 1.24% | 1.50% | 1.58% | 1.49% | 1.23% | 1.12% | 1.13% |
MEAR iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 2.64% | 2.95% | 3.44% | 3.30% | 0.88% | 0.30% | 0.90% | 1.57% | 1.36% | 1.01% | 0.81% | 0.53% |
Drawdowns
SMB vs. MEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SMB drawdown since its inception was -12.64%, which is greater than MEAR's maximum drawdown of -2.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMB and MEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SMB | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.64% | -2.68% | -9.96% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.63% | -0.86% | -0.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -7.48% | -1.12% | -6.36% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.64% | -2.68% | -9.96% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.00% | -0.35% | -0.65% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.14% | -0.19% | -0.95% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.43% | 0.15% | +0.28% |
Volatility
SMB vs. MEAR - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Short Muni ETF (SMB) has a higher volatility of 0.64% compared to iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR) at 0.36%. This indicates that SMB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SMB | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.64% | 0.36% | +0.28% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.19% | 0.60% | +0.59% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.36% | 1.16% | +1.20% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.49% | 0.98% | +1.51% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 4.27% | 1.52% | +2.75% |