SMEA.L vs. IESG.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

SMEA.L (iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)) and IESG.L (iShares MSCI Europe SRI UCITS ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SMEA.L is a Europe Equities fund tracking the MSCI Europe NR EUR, while IESG.L is a ESG fund tracking the MSCI Europe SRI Select Reduced Fossil Fuel Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SMEA.L returned 10.22%/yr vs 8.90%/yr for IESG.L. Their correlation of 0.84 suggests significant overlap in exposure. SMEA.L charges 0.12%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for IESG.L.

Performance

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (SMEA.L) and iShares MSCI Europe SRI UCITS ETF (IESG.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMEA.L achieves a 6.71% return, which is significantly higher than IESG.L's 6.07% return. Over the past 10 years, SMEA.L has outperformed IESG.L with an annualized return of 10.22%, while IESG.L has yielded a comparatively lower 8.90% annualized return.

SMEA.L

• 1D: 0.75%
• 1M: 3.62%
• YTD: 6.71%
• 6M: 8.81%
• 1Y: 19.31%
• 3Y*: 13.80%
• 5Y*: 10.14%
• 10Y*: 10.22%

IESG.L

• 1D: 0.99%
• 1M: 3.90%
• YTD: 6.07%
• 6M: 7.58%
• 1Y: 8.35%
• 3Y*: 7.12%
• 5Y*: 5.54%
• 10Y*: 8.90%

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

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMEA.L iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)	6.71%	25.88%	3.68%	13.36%	-3.48%	16.94%	2.44%	19.63%	-9.48%	14.91%
IESG.L iShares MSCI Europe SRI UCITS ETF	6.07%	8.44%	0.88%	14.27%	-9.89%	18.85%	9.51%	22.59%	-6.20%	15.83%

Correlation

The correlation between SMEA.L and IESG.L is 0.93, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.93
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.94
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.95
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.94
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 11, 2011	0.84

The correlation between SMEA.L and IESG.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.84 (all time) to 0.95 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	SMEA.L	IESG.L
Financial Services	23.3%	23.1%
Industrials	19.7%	20.5%
Healthcare	13.1%	13.4%
Technology	8.6%	12.5%
Consumer Defensive	8.4%	9.4%
Consumer Cyclical	6.3%	6.6%
Basic Materials	5.6%	5.3%
Energy	5.4%	-
Utilities	5.1%	4.2%
Communication Services	3.7%	3.7%
Real Estate	0.8%	1.4%

Return for Risk

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMEA.L

SMEA.L Risk / Return Rank: 44
SMEA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
SMEA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
SMEA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SMEA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
SMEA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 41

IESG.L

IESG.L Risk / Return Rank: 20
IESG.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
IESG.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
IESG.L Omega Ratio Rank: 20
IESG.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
IESG.L Martin Ratio Rank: 21

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.

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (SMEA.L) and iShares MSCI Europe SRI UCITS ETF (IESG.L). 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.

	SMEA.L	IESG.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.60	0.65	+0.95
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.29	1.00	+1.28
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.12	+0.18
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.82	0.73	+1.09
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.51	2.41	+4.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMEA.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.60, which is higher than the IESG.L Sharpe Ratio of 0.65. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMEA.L and IESG.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SMEA.L	IESG.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.60	0.65	+0.95
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	0.39	+0.35
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.70	0.60	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.60	0.51	+0.09

Drawdowns

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMEA.L drawdown since its inception was -28.48%, which is greater than IESG.L's maximum drawdown of -25.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMEA.L and IESG.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMEA.L	IESG.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.48%	-25.95%	-2.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.56%	-11.32%	+0.76%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-12.46%	-15.07%	+2.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.76%	-20.77%	+5.01%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-28.48%	-25.95%	-2.53%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.27%	0.00%	-1.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.54%	-4.72%	+0.18%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.96%	3.46%	-0.50%

Volatility

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (SMEA.L) and iShares MSCI Europe SRI UCITS ETF (IESG.L) have volatilities of 3.91% and 3.93%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMEA.L	IESG.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.91%	3.93%	-0.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.09%	10.43%	-0.34%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.02%	12.75%	-0.73%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.64%	14.15%	-0.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.04%	14.84%	+0.20%

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMEA.L has a 0.12% expense ratio, which is lower than IESG.L's 0.20% 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%.

Dividends

SMEA.L vs. IESG.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither SMEA.L nor IESG.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SMEA.L and IESG.L in my portfolio?

With a correlation of 0.93, SMEA.L and IESG.L move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

Which ETF is better, SMEA.L or IESG.L?

On fees, SMEA.L is cheaper at 0.12% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, SMEA.L or IESG.L?

SMEA.L is cheaper with a 0.12% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for IESG.L.

What is the main difference between SMEA.L and IESG.L?

SMEA.L is categorized as Europe Equities, while IESG.L is ESG. SMEA.L tracks MSCI Europe NR EUR, while IESG.L tracks MSCI Europe SRI Select Reduced Fossil Fuel Index. Their fees differ too: 0.12% for SMEA.L and 0.20% for IESG.L.