--- title: "ISCG vs. RZG: Which Small-Cap Growth ETF Fits Your Portfolio?" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/279193240.md" description: "The article compares two small-cap growth ETFs: ISCG and RZG. ISCG has a lower expense ratio (0.06% vs. 0.35%) and is significantly larger in assets, offering broader diversification with nearly 1,000 stocks. RZG, with about 130 stocks, focuses more on healthcare and technology. Both funds have shown similar performance, but ISCG's lower costs and diversification may appeal more to investors. The article also highlights the importance of cost and portfolio construction in small-cap growth investing." datetime: "2026-03-16T02:45:19.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279193240.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279193240.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279193240.md) --- # ISCG vs. RZG: Which Small-Cap Growth ETF Fits Your Portfolio? ## Key Points - ISCG charges a much lower expense ratio and is nearly eight times larger than RZG. - Both funds delivered similar strong gains over the past year, but ISCG holds over seven times as many stocks, spreading risk more broadly. - RZG leans more heavily into healthcare and technology, while ISCG puts greater weight on industrials. - 10 stocks we like better than iShares Trust - iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF › The iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (**NYSEMKT:ISCG**) stands out for its low cost, extensive diversification, and larger assets under management (AUM), while the Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Pure Growth ETF (**NYSEMKT:RZG**) offers a more concentrated small-cap growth approach with heavier sector tilts. Both ISCG and RZG target U.S. small-cap growth stocks, but they take notably different approaches to portfolio construction and cost.† ## Snapshot (cost & size) Metric RZG ISCG Issuer Invesco IShares Expense ratio 0.35% 0.06% 1-yr return (as of 2026-03-13) 25.2% 25.9% Dividend yield 0.34% 0.68% Beta 1.15 1.33 AUM $113.8 million $923.8 million _Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months._ ISCG is meaningfully more affordable thanks to its 0.06% expense ratio versus 0.35% for RZG, and it also delivers a slightly higher payout with a 0.6% yield compared to RZG’s 0.34%. ## Performance & risk comparison Metric RZG ISCG Max drawdown (5 y) \-38.31% \-41.50% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,016 $1,044 ## What's inside ISCG tracks a broad index of nearly 1,000 small-cap U.S. growth stocks, with 25% in industrials, 21% in technology, and 16% in healthcare. Its top holdings—Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:LITE), Ati Inc (NYSE:ATI), and Rbc Bearings Inc (NYSE:RBC)—each make up less than 2% of assets, reflecting a highly diversified portfolio. The fund has a long track record at over 21 years, and no leverage, hedging, or other unusual quirks are present. By contrast, RZG is more concentrated, holding about 130 stocks with bigger bets on healthcare (24%) and technology (19%). Its largest positions—ACM Research Inc (NASDAQ:ACMR), Clear Secure Inc (NYSE:YOU), and Powell Industries Inc (NASDAQ:POWL)—hover around 1.5% each. Both funds avoid leverage and complex strategies, but RZG’s narrower focus may appeal to investors seeking more targeted growth exposure. For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link. ## What this means for investors Small-cap growth is a category where cost and construction choices matter more than they might seem. ISCG and RZG both target U.S. small-cap growth stocks, but they get there differently. The cost gap is hard to ignore. ISCG's 0.06% expense ratio is nearly six times cheaper than RZG's 0.35%. Over a long holding period, that drag compounds. ISCG also runs nearly eight times the assets, which means tighter spreads and easier entry and exit for most investors. Where it gets more nuanced is performance. RZG's five-year return edge comes partly from its concentrated approach — roughly 130 stocks vs. ISCG's nearly 1,000, with heavier bets on healthcare. But concentration cuts both ways, and both funds have underperformed the S&P 500 over the last five years with nearly identical max drawdowns. The extra cost of RZG needs to be justified by that targeted tilt, and whether it is depends on what you're building toward.TMF Writers add your take here... ## Should you buy stock in iShares Trust - iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF right now? Before you buy stock in iShares Trust - iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF, consider this: The _Motley Fool Stock Advisor_ analyst team just identified what they believe are the **10 best stocks** for investors to buy now… and iShares Trust - iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when **Netflix** made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $514,000**!\* Or when **Nvidia** made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $1,105,029**!\* Now, it’s worth noting _Stock Advisor’s_ total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. **Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with _Stock Advisor_, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.** See the 10 stocks » _\*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026._ _Seena Hassouna has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Lumentum and RBC Bearings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy._ The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. ### Related Stocks - [RZG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RZG.US.md) - [ISCG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ISCG.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [VTI vs VOO: Which One Is the Smarter Buy Today?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286892263.md) - [Worried About a Market Crash? 3 Vanguard ETFs Built to Survive](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286880525.md) - [3 Dividend ETFs to Lock In Before Summer Volatility Picks Up](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286999152.md) - [Which Dividend ETF Is Better: Vanguard's Larger Portfolio or Fidelity's Higher Growth?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287069384.md) - [$100 Invested In iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF 20 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286800978.md)