ETF Versus

SCHA vs SCHM

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

Last updated: 2026-04-10

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 1.11%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $20.9B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.11% 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 1.35%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $13.6B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.35% Since: Jan 13, 2011

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, SCHA has significantly outperformed with a 43.7% return vs 34.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHA SCHM
Expense Ratio 0.04% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 1.4%
Fund Family Schwab Schwab
Category US Small Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 82 94 106 118 130 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SCHA +21.7%
SCHM +27.3%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHA SCHM Difference
1 Month +4.21% +2.71% +1.50%
3 Months +1.72% +2.19% -0.47%
6 Months +10.44% +10.03% +0.41%
YTD +6.53% +6.35% +0.18%
1 Year +43.70% +34.84% +8.86%
3 Years +47.64% +44.11% +3.53%
5 Years +21.71% +27.25% -5.54%

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% 19.6%
Max Drawdown -31.6% -27.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.08 0.12

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHA SCHM
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.34 $0.44
Dividend Yield 1.11% 1.35%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

SCHA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK2.51%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.39%
ATI Inc.ATI0.48%
Coeur Mining, Inc.CDE0.47%
Revolution Medicines, Inc.RVMD0.42%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.40%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.39%
MKS Inc.MKSI0.38%
MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.MTSI0.37%
Rocket Companies, Inc.RKT0.34%

SCHM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK2.21%
Ciena CorporationCIEN1.27%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.14%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.98%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.72%
Tapestry, Inc.TPR0.60%
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.60%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.57%
Texas Pacific Land CorporationTPL0.54%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.53%

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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