ETF Versus

SCHA vs SCHM

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF vs Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SCHA Schwab

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.16%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $19.4B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.16% Since: Nov 3, 2009
SCHM Schwab

Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.40%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $12.6B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.40% Since: Jan 13, 2011

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, SCHA has significantly outperformed with a 25.0% return vs 18.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHA SCHM
Expense Ratio 0.04% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 1.4%
Fund Family Schwab Schwab
Category US Small Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 87 99 111 123 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHA +15.6%
SCHM +23.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHA SCHM Difference
1 Month -4.46% -5.47% +1.01%
3 Months +1.91% +2.53% -0.62%
6 Months +3.86% +4.03% -0.17%
YTD +1.91% +2.53% -0.62%
1 Year +25.00% +18.78% +6.22%
3 Years +40.06% +38.25% +1.81%
5 Years +15.59% +23.49% -7.90%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHA Fees SCHM Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $80 $80 $0
$10.000 20 years $344 $344 $0
$10.000 30 years $1.112 $1.112 $0
$50.000 10 years $399 $399 $0
$50.000 30 years $5.560 $5.560 $0
$100.000 30 years $11.121 $11.121 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHA SCHM
Annualized Volatility 22.0% 19.5%
Max Drawdown -31.6% -27.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.04 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHA SCHM
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.34 $0.44
Dividend Yield 1.16% 1.40%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

2 of top 10 holdings overlap (20% overlap in top holdings)

SCHA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK2.27%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.25%
ATI Inc.ATI0.48%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.44%
Coeur Mining, Inc.CDE0.44%
Revolution Medicines, Inc.RVMD0.42%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.39%
MKS Inc.MKSI0.37%
MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.MTSI0.36%
The New York Times CompanyNYT0.33%

SCHM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.95%
Ciena CorporationCIEN1.21%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.07%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.98%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.74%
Texas Pacific Land CorporationTPL0.63%
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.62%
Tapestry, Inc.TPR0.60%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.57%
FTAI Aviation Ltd.FTAI0.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHA if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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