Want to Invest in Small-Cap Stocks? Check Out These Two Top ETFs

Core Insights - The State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) and the Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) provide diversified exposure to U.S. small-cap stocks but differ in their index tracking and methodologies [1][2] Group 1: Cost and Size Comparison - SPSM has a lower expense ratio of 0.03% compared to SCHA's 0.04% [3] - As of February 20, 2026, SPSM's one-year total return is 18.4%, while SCHA's is 22.3% [3] - SPSM offers a higher dividend yield of 1.5% compared to SCHA's 1.2% [3] - SPSM has an AUM of $14.8 billion, while SCHA has $20.8 billion [3] Group 2: Performance and Risk Comparison - Over five years, SPSM's maximum drawdown is (27.94%), while SCHA's is (30.79%) [5] - The growth of $1,000 over five years is $1,244 for SPSM and $1,223 for SCHA [5] Group 3: Portfolio Composition - SCHA tracks a broad small-cap index with 1,724 stocks, emphasizing diversification across sectors such as financial services (17.9%), industrials (17.2%), and healthcare (15.8%) [6] - SPSM covers 607 stocks with sector tilts towards industrials (18.1%), financial services (18%), and consumer discretionary (14%) [7] - SCHA's largest holding is Sandisk Corp at 2%, while SPSM's top holdings are less than 1% each [6][7]