SUSA vs. SUSL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) and iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF (SUSL).

SUSA and SUSL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SUSA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Select Index. It was launched on Jan 24, 2005. SUSL is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA Extended ESG Leaders Index. It was launched on May 7, 2019. Both SUSA and SUSL 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

SUSA vs. SUSL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) and iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF (SUSL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SUSA vs. SUSL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
SUSA iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF	-4.20%	15.72%	22.43%	23.88%	-21.38%	30.45%	24.66%	13.51%
SUSL iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF	-5.17%	18.97%	23.51%	29.08%	-20.22%	31.53%	18.89%	16.29%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SUSA achieves a -4.20% return, which is significantly higher than SUSL's -5.17% return.

SUSA

• 1D: 0.81%
• 1M: -4.63%
• YTD: -4.20%
• 6M: -1.67%
• 1Y: 16.65%
• 3Y*: 16.24%
• 5Y*: 9.77%
• 10Y*: 13.55%

SUSL

• 1D: 0.97%
• 1M: -4.86%
• YTD: -5.17%
• 6M: -2.04%
• 1Y: 20.34%
• 3Y*: 18.58%
• 5Y*: 11.76%
• 10Y*: —

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

SUSA vs. SUSL - Expense Ratio Comparison

SUSA has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than SUSL's 0.10% 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%.

SUSA

iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF

SUSL

iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF

Return for Risk

SUSA vs. SUSL — Risk / Return Rank

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

SUSA

SUSA Risk / Return Rank: 53
SUSA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
SUSA Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
SUSA Omega Ratio Rank: 53
SUSA Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
SUSA Martin Ratio Rank: 60

SUSL

SUSL Risk / Return Rank: 65
SUSL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
SUSL Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
SUSL Omega Ratio Rank: 63
SUSL Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
SUSL Martin Ratio Rank: 68

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.

SUSA vs. SUSL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) and iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF (SUSL). 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.

	SUSA	SUSL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.92	1.11	-0.19
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.41	1.68	-0.27
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.24	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.41	1.85	-0.44
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.30	7.24	-0.94
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SUSA vs. SUSL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SUSA Sharpe Ratio is 0.92, which is comparable to the SUSL Sharpe Ratio of 1.11. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SUSA and SUSL, 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

	SUSA	SUSL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.92	1.11	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57	0.68	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.75	-0.22

Correlation

The correlation between SUSA and SUSL is 0.95, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

SUSA vs. SUSL - Dividend Comparison

SUSA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.96%, less than SUSL's 1.07% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SUSA iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF	0.96%	0.89%	1.15%	1.32%	1.52%	0.98%	1.17%	1.52%	1.72%	1.40%	1.56%	1.42%
SUSL iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF	1.07%	0.99%	1.10%	1.27%	1.57%	1.12%	1.38%	1.12%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

SUSA vs. SUSL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SUSA drawdown since its inception was -53.93%, which is greater than SUSL's maximum drawdown of -34.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SUSA and SUSL.

Drawdown Indicators

	SUSA	SUSL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.93%	-34.26%	-19.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.12%	-11.37%	-0.75%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.23%	-26.98%	-1.25%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.93%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.49%	-7.78%	+1.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.30%	-5.81%	-1.49%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.70%	2.90%	-0.20%

Volatility

SUSA vs. SUSL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) is 5.23%, while iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF (SUSL) has a volatility of 5.66%. This indicates that SUSA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SUSL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SUSA	SUSL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.23%	5.66%	-0.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.80%	10.22%	-0.42%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.15%	18.35%	-0.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.32%	17.44%	-0.12%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.12%	19.93%	-1.81%