ETF Versus

SCHA vs SCHZ

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF vs Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond 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
SCHZ Schwab

Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (SCHZ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.09%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $9.9B ER: 0.03% Yield: 4.09% Since: Jul 14, 2011

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 -0.1%. Income investors may prefer SCHZ for its higher yield (4.1% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric SCHA SCHZ
Expense Ratio 0.04% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 4.1%
Fund Family Schwab Schwab
Category US Small Cap US Aggregate Bond

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%
SCHZ -14.1%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHA SCHZ Difference
1 Month -4.46% -1.66% -2.80%
3 Months +1.91% -0.90% +2.81%
6 Months +3.86% -1.24% +5.10%
YTD +1.91% -0.90% +2.81%
1 Year +25.00% -0.09% +25.09%
3 Years +40.06% -1.43% +41.49%
5 Years +15.59% -14.13% +29.72%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHA Fees SCHZ 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 SCHZ
Annualized Volatility 22.0% 6.1%
Max Drawdown -31.6% -21.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.04 -1.21

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHA SCHZ
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.34 $0.95
Dividend Yield 1.16% 4.08%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Monthly

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%

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 SCHZ if...

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

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