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SMOT vs. IJR
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

SMOT vs. IJR

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

SMOT (VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF) and IJR (iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SMOT is a Mid Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Morningstar US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus, while IJR is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, SMOT returned 9.48%/yr vs 13.39%/yr for IJR. Their correlation of 0.90 means they have usually moved in the same direction. SMOT charges 0.49%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for IJR.

Performance

SMOT vs. IJR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMOT achieves a 9.23% return, which is significantly lower than IJR's 21.59% return.

SMOT

1D
-1.03%
1M
0.08%
6M
7.42%
YTD
9.23%
1Y
14.58%
3Y*
9.48%
5Y*
—
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
12.51%

IJR

1D
-0.03%
1M
-0.70%
6M
15.04%
YTD
21.59%
1Y
35.87%
3Y*
13.39%
5Y*
7.39%
10Y*
10.86%
ALL TIME*
10.14%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

IJR

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF
$499.82M$465.35M$539.29M

SMOT

VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF
$1.19M$994.04K$961.22K

SMOT vs. IJR - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)2025202420232022
SMOT
VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF		9.23%6.46%10.71%17.31%3.85%
IJR
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF		21.59%5.89%8.63%16.06%3.08%

Correlation

The correlation between SMOT and IJR is 0.82, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.82

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.89

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 6, 2022

0.90

The correlation between SMOT and IJR has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.82 to 0.90 - a consistent structural relationship.

SMOT vs. IJR - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
SMOT
IJR

Healthcare

23.6%
12.4%

Industrials

16.3%
15.6%

Consumer Cyclical

13.2%
13.2%

Technology

10.9%
15.5%

Consumer Defensive

10.8%
4.2%

Basic Materials

9.1%
4.7%

Financial Services

8.2%
17.0%

Communication Services

3.2%
3.2%

Real Estate

2.3%
7.6%

Energy

1.8%
4.9%

Utilities

0.7%
1.8%

Healthcare

SMOT
23.6%
IJR
12.4%

Industrials

SMOT
16.3%
IJR
15.6%

Consumer Cyclical

SMOT
13.2%
IJR
13.2%

Technology

SMOT
10.9%
IJR
15.5%

Consumer Defensive

SMOT
10.8%
IJR
4.2%

Basic Materials

SMOT
9.1%
IJR
4.7%

Financial Services

SMOT
8.2%
IJR
17.0%

Communication Services

SMOT
3.2%
IJR
3.2%

Real Estate

SMOT
2.3%
IJR
7.6%

Energy

SMOT
1.8%
IJR
4.9%

Utilities

SMOT
0.7%
IJR
1.8%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF

Often compared with SMOT:
SMOT vs. MOATSMOT vs. INCMSMOT vs. IWMSMOT vs. VOOSMOT vs. XSVMSMOT vs. SDVYSMOT vs. FNY
Often compared with IJR:
IJR vs. IWMIJR vs. VBIJR vs. AVUVIJR vs. IJHIJR vs. IJSIJR vs. SCHAIJR vs. VBR

Return for Risk

SMOT vs. IJR — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
SMOT
SMOT Risk / Return Rank: 3939
Overall Rank
SMOT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3737
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SMOT Sortino Ratio Rank: 3939
Sortino Ratio Rank
SMOT Omega Ratio Rank: 3434
Omega Ratio Rank
SMOT Calmar Ratio Rank: 4141
Calmar Ratio Rank
SMOT Martin Ratio Rank: 4343
Martin Ratio Rank
IJR
IJR Risk / Return Rank: 8686
Overall Rank
IJR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8484
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IJR Sortino Ratio Rank: 8686
Sortino Ratio Rank
IJR Omega Ratio Rank: 8181
Omega Ratio Rank
IJR Calmar Ratio Rank: 9191
Calmar Ratio Rank
IJR Martin Ratio Rank: 8888
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

SMOT vs. IJR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

SMOTIJRDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
0.92
1.95

-1.03

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.46
2.87

-1.41

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.16

1.34

-0.18

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.47

3.89

-2.42

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

4.79

13.29

-8.49

SMOT vs. IJR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMOT Sharpe Ratio is 0.92, which is lower than the IJR Sharpe Ratio of 1.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMOT and IJR, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

SMOT vs. IJR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMOT drawdown since its inception was -23.36%, smaller than the maximum IJR drawdown of -58.15%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMOT and IJR.

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Drawdown Indicators

SMOTIJRDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-23.36%

-58.15%

+34.79%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-8.91%

-8.68%

-0.23%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-23.36%

-28.02%

+4.66%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

—

-28.02%

—

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-44.36%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-2.32%

-1.92%

-0.40%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-4.68%

-9.23%

+4.55%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.73%

2.54%

+0.19%

Volatility

SMOT vs. IJR - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT) has a higher volatility of 4.08% compared to iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) at 3.40%. This indicates that SMOT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IJR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

SMOTIJRDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.08%

3.40%

+0.68%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

10.21%

11.62%

-1.41%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

14.27%

17.33%

-3.06%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

18.31%

21.25%

-2.94%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

18.31%

22.85%

-4.54%

SMOT vs. IJR - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMOT has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is higher than IJR's 0.06% expense ratio.

Dividends

SMOT vs. IJR - Dividend Comparison

SMOT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.26%, more than IJR's 1.13% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
IJR
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF		1.13%1.44%2.05%1.31%1.41%1.53%1.11%1.44%1.58%1.20%1.22%1.48%
SMOT
VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF		1.26%1.37%1.18%0.65%0.24%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

SMOT and IJR have a correlation of 0.82, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

SMOT has higher volatility (4.08%) compared to IJR (3.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SMOT dropped -23.36% vs IJR's -58.15%.

On 3-year performance, IJR leads with 13.39% vs 9.48% for SMOT. On fees, IJR is cheaper at 0.06% per year. On volatility, IJR has been the lower-risk option at 3.40%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 3-year period, IJR has performed better with a 13.39% return vs 9.48%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

IJR is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 0.49% for SMOT.

SMOT has the higher dividend yield at 1.26%, compared with 1.13% for IJR.

SMOT is categorized as Mid Cap Blend Equities, while IJR is Small Cap Blend Equities. SMOT tracks Morningstar US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus, while IJR tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Index. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.49% for SMOT and 0.06% for IJR.

IJR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.95 vs 0.92), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

Portfolio Optimizer

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