Should Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Core Insights - The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is a passively managed fund launched on November 3, 2009, with over $17.74 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Small Cap Blend segment of the U.S. equity market [1] Costs - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.04%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options in its category, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.53% [3] Sector Exposure and Top Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation to the Industrials sector at approximately 19.6%, followed by Financials and Information Technology [4] - Affirm Holdings Inc Class A (AFRM) constitutes about 0.47% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for around 3.73% of total assets under management [5] Performance and Risk - SCHA aims to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index, having increased by about 0.19% year-to-date and 8.93% over the past year as of August 11, 2025 [6] - The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and a standard deviation of 21.62% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile with 1714 holdings for diversification [7] Alternatives - SCHA holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating strong potential based on expected returns, expense ratio, and momentum, making it a favorable choice for investors in the Small Cap Blend segment [8] - Other comparable ETFs include the Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB) with $63.12 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.05%, and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) with $80.47 billion in assets and a 0.06% expense ratio [9] Bottom-Line - Passively managed ETFs like SCHA are favored by both institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency, making them suitable for long-term investment strategies [10]