USMV vs VLUE Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
USMV and VLUE sit in related but distinct corners of the ETF landscape — USMV centers on systematically minimizing portfolio volatility versus the broad market, while VLUE focuses on systematic exposure to statistically cheap stocks by valuation multiples. Investors choosing between them should weigh how each fund's strategy lines up with their own goals rather than assuming they're interchangeable.
Choosing between USMV and VLUE comes down to which specific exposure — systematically minimizing portfolio volatility versus the broad market or systematic exposure to statistically cheap stocks by valuation multiples — better matches the role you want this holding to play in a diversified portfolio.
VLUE holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VLUE has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+57.61% vs +9.37% for USMV).
- want systematically minimizing portfolio volatility versus the broad market
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value historically smoother ride with smaller drawdowns in downturns
- are comfortable with tends to lag significantly during strong bull-market rallies
- want systematic exposure to statistically cheap stocks by valuation multiples
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value targets the academically documented value factor premium
- are comfortable with value has structurally underperformed growth for much of the last decade
| Metric | USMV | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 26.7 | 27.8 |
| Latest closei | $101.58 | $195.51 |
| 1M returni | +2.42% | -1.97% |
| 3M returni | +4.92% | +3.44% |
| 6M returni | +8.31% | +26.14% |
| 1Y returni | +9.37% | +57.61% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | USMV | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.1K (+11.0%) started 2025-10-15 | $16.06K (+60.6%) started 2025-10-15 |
| 5Y ago | $15.83K (+58.3%) started 2021-10-15 | $24.62K (+146.2%) started 2021-10-15 |
| 10Y ago | $33.27K (+232.7%) started 2016-10-17 | $52.71K (+427.1%) started 2016-10-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | USMV | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $23.16B | $9.37B |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.45% | 1.56% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 23.54 | 15.29 |
| Betai | 0.65 | 1.13 |
| 52-week change | 9.37% | 57.61% |
| Metric | USMV | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +9.37% | +57.61% |
| 6M returni | +8.31% | +26.14% |
| 3M returni | +4.92% | +3.44% |
| 1M returni | +2.42% | -1.97% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.56 | 2.11 |
| Betai | 0.65 | 1.13 |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.45% | 1.56% |
| 5Y CAGR | +7.79% | +16.46% |
Over the past year, USMV and VLUE have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.29), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | USMV | VLUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +9.37% | +57.61% |
| CAGRi | +9.37% | +57.66% | |
| Volatilityi | 8.65% | 20.55% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.56 | 2.11 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.81 | 3.39 | |
| Max drawdowni | 6.46% | 9.04% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.07% | 4.41% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 1.56% | 2.01% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 2.10% | 2.90% | |
| Max daily dropi | 1.68% | 4.16% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 2.92% | 6.03% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +45.50% | +114.25% |
| CAGRi | +7.79% | +16.46% | |
| Volatilityi | 12.34% | 18.40% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.31 | 0.68 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.43 | 0.99 | |
| Max drawdowni | 17.93% | 27.12% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.07% | 4.41% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 4.12% | 7.77% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 5.84% | 10.36% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.91% | 5.92% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 8.73% | 12.23% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +173.70% | +293.64% |
| CAGRi | +10.60% | +14.70% | |
| Volatilityi | 14.47% | 20.08% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.46 | 0.56 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.64 | 0.79 | |
| Max drawdowni | 33.10% | 39.47% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.07% | 4.41% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 3.47% | 6.89% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 5.54% | 9.82% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.08% | 12.69% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.71% | 21.61% |
| Category | USMV | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $23.16B | $9.37B |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.45% | 1.56% |
- Historically smoother ride with smaller drawdowns in downturns
- Sector diversification maintained despite the volatility optimization
- Popular defensive core holding for risk-averse investors
- Targets the academically documented value factor premium
- Diversified across sectors despite the valuation tilt
- Can outperform meaningfully during value-led market rotations
- Tends to lag significantly during strong bull-market rallies
- Optimization process can lead to unintuitive sector tilts over time
- Higher expense ratio than plain market-cap index funds
- Value has structurally underperformed growth for much of the last decade
- Higher expense ratio than plain market-cap index funds
- Can concentrate in out-of-favor, cyclical sectors
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AI score, forward P/E, analyst target upside, operating margin, and revenue growth are scored head-to-head, with a running tally of which ticker leads on how many metrics.
Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
Pairwise daily-return correlation for every combination, so you can see whether two holdings actually diversify each other or just move together.
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