SMCY vs. SMAX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF (SMCY) and iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF (SMAX).

SMCY and SMAX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SMCY is an actively managed fund by YieldMax. It was launched on Sep 11, 2024. SMAX is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Sep 30, 2024.

Performance

SMCY vs. SMAX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF (SMCY) and iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF (SMAX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SMCY vs. SMAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
SMCY YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF	-19.23%	-15.41%	-29.63%
SMAX iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF	-0.28%	8.01%	1.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMCY achieves a -19.23% return, which is significantly lower than SMAX's -0.28% return.

SMCY

• 1D: -0.18%
• 1M: -24.98%
• YTD: -19.23%
• 6M: -49.69%
• 1Y: -33.98%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SMAX

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: -0.88%
• YTD: -0.28%
• 6M: 1.09%
• 1Y: 8.27%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SMCY vs. SMAX - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMCY has a 0.99% expense ratio, which is higher than SMAX's 0.50% expense ratio.

SMCY

YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF

SMAX

iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF

Return for Risk

SMCY vs. SMAX — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMCY

SMCY Risk / Return Rank: 4
SMCY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4
SMCY Sortino Ratio Rank: 5
SMCY Omega Ratio Rank: 5
SMCY Calmar Ratio Rank: 4
SMCY Martin Ratio Rank: 3

SMAX

SMAX Risk / Return Rank: 94
SMAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
SMAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
SMAX Omega Ratio Rank: 96
SMAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
SMAX Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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.

SMCY vs. SMAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF (SMCY) and iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF (SMAX). 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.

	SMCY	SMAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.53	2.17	-2.70
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.37	3.29	-3.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.94	1.50	-0.55
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.53	3.70	-4.23
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.09	17.21	-18.30
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMCY vs. SMAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMCY Sharpe Ratio is -0.53, which is lower than the SMAX Sharpe Ratio of 2.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMCY and SMAX, 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

	SMCY	SMAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.53	2.17	-2.70
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.51	1.54	-2.05

Correlation

The correlation between SMCY and SMAX is 0.42, 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

SMCY vs. SMAX - Dividend Comparison

SMCY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 262.32%, more than SMAX's 0.98% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024
SMCY YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF	262.32%	231.43%	38.43%
SMAX iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF	0.98%	0.98%	0.27%

Drawdowns

SMCY vs. SMAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMCY drawdown since its inception was -64.75%, which is greater than SMAX's maximum drawdown of -3.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMCY and SMAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMCY	SMAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-64.75%	-3.90%	-60.85%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-60.43%	-2.27%	-58.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-61.06%	-0.99%	-60.07%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-35.47%	-0.44%	-35.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	29.48%	0.49%	+28.99%

Volatility

SMCY vs. SMAX - Volatility Comparison

YieldMax SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF (SMCY) has a higher volatility of 41.62% compared to iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF (SMAX) at 1.31%. This indicates that SMCY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SMAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMCY	SMAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	41.62%	1.31%	+40.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	53.71%	2.15%	+51.56%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	64.66%	3.82%	+60.84%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	77.95%	3.80%	+74.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	77.95%	3.80%	+74.15%