TMSL vs. AVUS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF (TMSL) and Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS).

TMSL and AVUS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. TMSL is an actively managed fund by T. Rowe Price. It was launched on Jun 14, 2023. AVUS is an actively managed fund by American Century. It was launched on Sep 24, 2019.

Performance

TMSL vs. AVUS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF (TMSL) and Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

TMSL vs. AVUS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
TMSL T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF	2.14%	11.95%	15.81%	11.22%
AVUS Avantis U.S. Equity ETF	-0.32%	16.68%	20.43%	10.07%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TMSL achieves a 2.14% return, which is significantly higher than AVUS's -0.32% return.

TMSL

• 1D: 4.09%
• 1M: -6.41%
• YTD: 2.14%
• 6M: 4.84%
• 1Y: 20.98%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

AVUS

• 1D: 2.83%
• 1M: -4.35%
• YTD: -0.32%
• 6M: 2.80%
• 1Y: 21.65%
• 3Y*: 17.69%
• 5Y*: 11.12%
• 10Y*: —

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

TMSL vs. AVUS - Expense Ratio Comparison

TMSL has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than AVUS's 0.15% expense ratio.

TMSL

T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF

AVUS

Avantis U.S. Equity ETF

Return for Risk

TMSL vs. AVUS — Risk / Return Rank

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

TMSL

TMSL Risk / Return Rank: 56
TMSL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
TMSL Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
TMSL Omega Ratio Rank: 55
TMSL Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
TMSL Martin Ratio Rank: 60

AVUS

AVUS Risk / Return Rank: 73
AVUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
AVUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
AVUS Omega Ratio Rank: 74
AVUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
AVUS Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

TMSL vs. AVUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF (TMSL) and Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS). 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.

	TMSL	AVUS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.95	1.16	-0.21
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.46	1.72	-0.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.26	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.43	1.72	-0.29
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.92	8.50	-2.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TMSL vs. AVUS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TMSL Sharpe Ratio is 0.95, which is comparable to the AVUS Sharpe Ratio of 1.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TMSL and AVUS, 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

	TMSL	AVUS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.95	1.16	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.65	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.82	0.69	+0.12

Correlation

The correlation between TMSL and AVUS is 0.91, 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

TMSL vs. AVUS - Dividend Comparison

TMSL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.55%, less than AVUS's 1.04% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
TMSL T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF	0.55%	0.57%	0.44%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
AVUS Avantis U.S. Equity ETF	1.04%	1.08%	1.27%	1.41%	1.59%	1.08%	1.19%	0.35%

Drawdowns

TMSL vs. AVUS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TMSL drawdown since its inception was -24.39%, smaller than the maximum AVUS drawdown of -37.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TMSL and AVUS.

Drawdown Indicators

	TMSL	AVUS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-24.39%	-37.04%	+12.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.61%	-13.01%	-1.60%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-22.19%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.56%	-5.24%	-2.32%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.09%	-5.21%	+1.12%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.53%	2.63%	+0.90%

Volatility

TMSL vs. AVUS - Volatility Comparison

T. Rowe Price Small-Mid Cap ETF (TMSL) has a higher volatility of 8.15% compared to Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS) at 5.36%. This indicates that TMSL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AVUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TMSL	AVUS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.15%	5.36%	+2.79%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.33%	9.72%	+3.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.16%	18.80%	+3.36%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.37%	17.33%	+1.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.37%	21.04%	-2.67%