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ETF Profiles

SUSL ETF: What Is It? — A Complete Guide to Returns, Expense Ratio, Holdings, and Alternative ETFs

Updated May 9, 2026

A low-cost ESG ETF that concentrates on U.S. large-cap companies with strong ESG performance, pursuing social responsibility and financial returns simultaneously.

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What Is This ETF?

It tracks the MSCI USA Extended ESG Leaders Index, selecting companies with superior ESG ratings within each sector and holding them up to a majority weighting by market capitalization. The strategy maintains exposure to mainstream industries while excluding business segments that are socially controversial.

It is well suited for value-oriented investors who want to pursue overall U.S. market performance while emphasizing social responsibility and sustainability in their investment portfolio.

This passive (index-tracking) ETF was launched by iShares in 2019.

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How Does It Invest?

ItemDetails
Tracking IndexMSCI USA Extended ESG Leaders Index
Management StylePassive (Index Tracking)
Rebalancing FrequencyQuarterly
Dividend ScheduleQuarterly Dividends
Total Expense Ratio0.10%

Using MSCI's sophisticated ESG evaluation model, the fund excludes controversial industries such as tobacco, weapons, and fossil fuels. It then selects the top-rated ESG leaders among the remaining companies while maintaining sector weights similar to the broader market index to minimize tracking error.

  • A portfolio concentrated on the best-in-class ESG leaders within each sector
  • One of the lowest expense ratios within the same theme
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Size and Cost

Assets under management (AUM) stand at $1.2B, with a total expense ratio of 0.10% per year.

It applies a more rigorous selection standard than the basic ESG-filtered ESGU, using a "Leaders" strategy with a distinctly higher degree of social-value integration.

� Performance and Flows

As major innovators such as big tech maintain strong ESG ratings, the fund is moving in line with the broader market's upward trend, and its profile is rising as companies strengthen their sustainability-related disclosures.

Institutional investors' reinforcement of ESG investment principles combined with individual investors' value-driven consumption preferences is driving steady inflows, and its merit as a long-term risk management tool is gaining attention.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

It is an efficient core holding that can manage long-term risk by investing in proven ESG leaders, but performance deviations can occur due to the exclusion of certain sectors.

💪 Key Strengths

Verified Sustainability
Invests only in industry leaders that have passed a rigorous ESG evaluation, reducing non-financial risk.
Cost Efficiency
Maintains a very low fee level among ESG-themed products, keeping the cost burden modest for long-term holders.
Market Representativeness
Tracks the performance of the broad U.S. large-cap market while incorporating ESG values, making it usable as a core holding.

⚠️ Points to Watch

Sector Underrepresentation
Excluding or underweighting certain sectors (such as energy) can cause the fund to lag the index during strong rallies in those sectors.
Subjectivity of ESG Ratings
There is uncertainty that the ESG ratings of holdings can shift as rating agencies revise their criteria.
Tracking Error
Applying ESG criteria can produce short-term performance differences relative to broad benchmarks such as the S&P 500.

Alternative ETFs and Related Products

While ESGU, shown in the table, aims for broad ESG integration, SUSL concentrates on a more selective group of leaders. Similar products such as SUSA or ESGV are also worth considering, and if you prefer a wider screening universe, DSI or SNPE can be strong alternatives as well.

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Investor Checklist

SUSL employs a specialized strategy that concentrates on companies with superior ESG ratings, so before making an investment decision, please carefully review the following key checklist items to verify the rigor of its selection criteria and the possibility of performance differences.

CheckpointWhat to VerifyCurrent Status
📊 ESG RatingsSustainability scores and ratings of holdingsExcellent
💸 Expense RatioCost competitiveness versus similar-themed ETFsTop-tier
🚫 Sector ExclusionsConfirmation of exclusions in sectors such as energy and weaponsIn effect
📈 Index TrackingPerformance correlation with broad U.S. market indicesHigh

The ESG Leaders strategy can deliver returns that differ from a general index in environments where specific industries lead the market. Investors should carefully assess whether their personal values align with their financial objectives.

It is one of the strongest choices for investors who value social considerations alongside financial performance. With a low fee, it offers an efficient core ETF that simultaneously provides exposure to leading U.S. blue-chip companies and ESG leadership.

1-Year Price Performance
Dividend & Yield
Dividend Yield 0.94%
Annual Dividend (TTM) $1.26
1Y Return +11.1%
Next Ex-Dividend Date 9/15/2026
52-Week Price Range
$134
Low $110 High $140
vs. low +22.35% vs. high -4.02%
⚔️

Strengths and Weaknesses

It is an efficient core holding that can manage long-term risk by investing in proven ESG leaders, but performance deviations can occur due to the exclusion of certain sectors.

💪 Key Strengths

Verified Sustainability
Invests only in industry leaders that have passed a rigorous ESG evaluation, reducing non-financial risk.
Cost Efficiency
Maintains a very low fee level among ESG-themed products, keeping the cost burden modest for long-term holders.
Market Representativeness
Tracks the performance of the broad U.S. large-cap market while incorporating ESG values, making it usable as a core holding.

⚠️ Points to Watch

Sector Underrepresentation
Excluding or underweighting certain sectors (such as energy) can cause the fund to lag the index during strong rallies in those sectors.
Subjectivity of ESG Ratings
There is uncertainty that the ESG ratings of holdings can shift as rating agencies revise their criteria.
Tracking Error
Applying ESG criteria can produce short-term performance differences relative to broad benchmarks such as the S&P 500.

Alternative ETFs and Related Products

While ESGU, shown in the table, aims for broad ESG integration, SUSL concentrates on a more selective group of leaders. Similar products such as SUSA or ESGV are also worth considering, and if you prefer a wider screening universe, DSI or SNPE can be strong alternatives as well.

Peer Comparison ETFs
TickerNamePriceChangeAUMTotal Expense RatioDividend Yield1Y
ESGUESGUiShares Trust iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF$165.22-1.9%$18.2B0.15%0.94%+10.9%
ESGVESGVVanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF$132.73-2.1%$13.3B0.09%0.9%+9.8%
DSIDSIiShares ESG MSCI KLD 400 ETF$142.93-2.1%$5.5B0.25%0.89%+10.2%
SUSASUSAiShares ESG Optimized MSCI USA ETF$155.03-1.9%$4.1B0.25%0.84%+11.5%
USCAUSCAXtrackers MSCI USA Climate Action Equity ETF$44.81-1.8%$3.5B0.07%1.06%+6.8%
Top Holdings
TickerNameWeightPriceChangeMarket CapP/EDividend Yield
NVDANVIDIA Corp0.43%$204.64-4.2%$4.93T25.90.38%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp0.28%$521.91-1.6%$3.88T27.30.74%
GOOGAlphabet Inc0.12%$278.22-1.4%$3.41T14.50.31%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc0.11%$279.84-1.4%$3.41T14.60.31%
✅

Investor Checklist

SUSL employs a specialized strategy that concentrates on companies with superior ESG ratings, so before making an investment decision, please carefully review the following key checklist items to verify the rigor of its selection criteria and the possibility of performance differences.

CheckpointWhat to VerifyCurrent Status
📊 ESG RatingsSustainability scores and ratings of holdingsExcellent
💸 Expense RatioCost competitiveness versus similar-themed ETFsTop-tier
🚫 Sector ExclusionsConfirmation of exclusions in sectors such as energy and weaponsIn effect
📈 Index TrackingPerformance correlation with broad U.S. market indicesHigh

The ESG Leaders strategy can deliver returns that differ from a general index in environments where specific industries lead the market. Investors should carefully assess whether their personal values align with their financial objectives.

It is one of the strongest choices for investors who value social considerations alongside financial performance. With a low fee, it offers an efficient core ETF that simultaneously provides exposure to leading U.S. blue-chip companies and ESG leadership.

Briefs · earnings · signals, first Subscribe

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All investment responsibility lies with the investor.

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