ETF Versus

SCHA vs SPSM

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small 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

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.58%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $13.5B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.58% Since: Jul 8, 2013

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.03% vs 0.04%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, SCHA has significantly outperformed with a 25.0% return vs 18.9%.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHA SPSM
Expense Ratio 0.04% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 1.6%
Fund Family Schwab N/A
Category US Small Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 85 95 105 115 125 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHA +15.6%
SPSM +13.0%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHA SPSM Difference
1 Month -4.46% -4.42% -0.04%
3 Months +1.91% +2.83% -0.92%
6 Months +3.86% +3.84% +0.02%
YTD +1.91% +2.83% -0.92%
1 Year +25.00% +18.95% +6.05%
3 Years +40.06% +28.78% +11.28%
5 Years +15.59% +12.96% +2.63%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHA Fees SPSM Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $80 $60 $20
$10.000 20 years $344 $258 $86
$10.000 30 years $1.112 $835 $277
$50.000 10 years $399 $299 $100
$50.000 30 years $5.560 $4.176 $1.385
$100.000 30 years $11.121 $8.352 $2.769

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHA SPSM
Annualized Volatility 22.0% 21.5%
Max Drawdown -31.6% -28.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.04 0.01

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHA SPSM
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.34 $0.77
Dividend Yield 1.16% 1.58%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% 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%

SPSM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.57%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.51%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.50%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.49%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.49%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.49%
Jackson Financial Inc.JXN0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.47%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHA if...

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

Choose SPSM if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

you just need broad us small cap exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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