iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Growth ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Growth ETF (EGUS) tracks an MSCI index of U.S. growth stocks, tilted toward companies with stronger environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores. About 52% sits in technology, and its top 10 holdings, led by NVIDIA and Apple, were 62% of assets as of August 31, 2026. Its 0.18% fee is higher than Vanguard Growth ETF's 0.04%, and at $30.4 million in assets it is the smallest among similar funds.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, EGUS returned +8.8%, 1st of 9 among similar funds.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+19.0%); its best was 2024 (+32.8%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 24.9% (Dec 16, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 27, 2025.

As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 92 securities; the ten largest made up 62.14% of assets.

By sector

• Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $2.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -0.89%, -2.42%, +2.55%.

EGUS tracks the MSCI USA Growth Extended ESG Focus Index. It starts from the MSCI USA Growth Index, which holds U.S. large- and mid-sized companies making up about half the market value of the MSCI USA Index. MSCI picks growth stocks using five measures, such as forecast earnings growth and long-term sales growth.

MSCI then drops companies tied to tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms, thermal coal and oil sands, some by revenue cutoffs such as $20 million or 5%. It also removes firms in very severe, ongoing controversies, such as alleged human rights violations. Each remaining company gets an ESG (environmental, social and governance) score ranking it against industry peers. A computer model then sets weights that favor higher scorers while keeping risk and return close to the parent index. The index is reweighted quarterly and must keep an ESG score at least 10% better than the parent's.

Rather than buying every index stock, BlackRock uses representative sampling, holding a mix that matches the index's size, industry and other traits. It generally keeps at least 90% of assets in index stocks and had 92 holdings as of August 31, 2026. Turnover, the share of the portfolio replaced in a year, was 30%. The fund does not try to beat the index or move to cash in falling markets.

• EGUS charges 0.18% a year, versus an average of 0.15% for the similar funds below (6th of 9, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $18 in the first year and $230 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

Its concentrated, tech-heavy growth portfolio swung more than the market, with a beta (a gauge of market sensitivity) of 1.36 over the year to October 27, 2026, so it may fit better beside a broad core fund.

EGUS could add growth stocks with an ESG screen beside a core fund. It launched on January 31, 2023, so its record doesn't include the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its weaker full year, 2025, still gained 19%. Its deepest drop, 24.9%, ran from December 16, 2024, to April 8, 2025; it regained its peak by June 27, 2025. Anyone forced to sell near that low sold about a quarter below the peak. With a 0.19% yield as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, spending money would mostly come from selling shares.

It charges 0.18% a year, versus 0.04% for Vanguard Growth ETF. In the SEC's standard example ($10,000 earning 5% a year), costs add up to $18 in the first year and $230 over 10 years. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.