ETF Versus

SIZE vs VB

iShares MSCI USA Size Factor ETF vs Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares MSCI USA Size Factor ETF (SIZE) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us factor - size securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.56%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $367M ER: 0.15% Yield: 1.56% Since: Apr 16, 2013
VB Vanguard

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VB) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard 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 1.33%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $69.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.33% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VB is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.15% expense ratio, saving you approximately $238 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, VB has significantly outperformed with a 18.4% return vs 9.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric SIZE VB
Expense Ratio 0.15% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.6% 1.3%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category US Factor - Size US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 88 101 114 127 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SIZE +30.7%
VB +20.7%

Performance Comparison

Period SIZE VB Difference
1 Month -5.52% -5.50% -0.02%
3 Months -1.81% +0.71% -2.52%
6 Months -1.38% +2.15% -3.53%
YTD -1.81% +0.71% -2.52%
1 Year +9.79% +18.40% -8.61%
3 Years +35.80% +39.02% -3.22%
5 Years +30.68% +20.71% +9.97%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SIZE Fees VB Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $298 $60 $238
$10.000 20 years $1.278 $258 $1.020
$10.000 30 years $4.109 $835 $3.274
$50.000 10 years $1.490 $299 $1.190
$50.000 30 years $20.547 $4.176 $16.371
$100.000 30 years $41.094 $8.352 $32.742

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SIZE VB
Annualized Volatility 17.4% 20.8%
Max Drawdown -25.2% -28.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.14 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric SIZE VB
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.49 $3.50
Dividend Yield 1.56% 1.33%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

1 of top 9 holdings overlap (11% overlap in top holdings)

SIZE Top Holdings

NameWeight
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.LYB0.38%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.38%
Dow Inc.DOW0.37%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.33%
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.CF0.33%
Teradyne, Inc.TER0.32%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.32%
Texas Pacific Land CorporationTPL0.30%
Occidental Petroleum CorporationOXY0.30%
Keysight Technologies, Inc.KEYS0.30%

VB Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.21%
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.FIX0.65%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE0.64%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.64%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.53%
Rocket Lab CorporationRKLB0.48%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.44%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.43%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VB if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose VB if...

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

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