At a glance
ESGU charges 0.15% a year, above the 0.06% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 8th cheapest of 9). It has $18.15B in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 0.94% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +11.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the weakest of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +21.6% a year. At its worst it fell 33.9% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 26.1% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 4 months and 15 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 36.5% of the fund, out of 275 in all.
The short version
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) is a BlackRock index fund that tracks the MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index. The index holds large and mid-sized U.S. companies and tilts toward those MSCI rates higher on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, while staying close to the MSCI USA Index. It leaves out tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms and some coal and oil-sands businesses. Its 0.15% yearly fee is higher than the 0.03% IVV and VOO charge.
Price history
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ESGU +11.0% over the year to Nov 2, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESGU official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +24.33% | — | +14.13% | — | +14.76% |
| MSCIUSA Index index, same period | — | +25.08% | — | +14.56% | — | +15.00% |
| ESGU price data to Nov 2, 2026 | +11.1% | +11.0% | +21.6% | +10.6% | — | +14.8% |
- Over the year to Nov 2, 2026, ESGU returned +11.0%, 9th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +10.6%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 33.9% and regained its old high 4.4 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-20.3%); its best was 2019 (+31.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 33.9% (Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Aug 4, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +11.1% | — |
| 2025 | +16.9% | — |
| 2024 | +24.3% | +24.33% |
| 2023 | +25.8% | +25.72% |
| 2022 | -20.3% | -20.22% |
| 2021 | +26.9% | +26.78% |
| 2020 | +22.5% | +22.49% |
| 2019 | +31.7% | +32.20% |
| 2018 | -4.2% | -4.14% |
| 2017 | +21.1% | +21.25% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 33.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 33.9%, back to its old high 4.4 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 26.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 26.1%, back to its old high 14.5 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.0900 | |
| 2025 | $1.4800 | -2.6% |
| 2024 | $1.5200 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | $1.5100 | +12.7% |
| 2022 | $1.3400 | +16.5% |
| 2021 | $1.1500 | +6.5% |
| 2020 | $1.0800 | +14.9% |
| 2019 | $0.9400 | -6.4% |
| 2018 | $1.0047 | -4.3% |
| 2017 | $1.0500 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 275 securities; the ten largest made up 36.46% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORPORATION | 7.70% | |
| APPLE INC. | 6.90% | |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION | 5.41% | |
| AMAZON.COM, INC. | 3.71% | |
| ALPHABET INC. | 3.28% | |
| BROADCOM INC. | 2.52% | |
| ALPHABET INC. Class A | 2.00% | |
| META PLATFORMS, INC. | 1.77% | |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. | 1.60% | |
| TESLA, INC. | 1.55% | |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. | 1.41% | |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY | 1.39% | |
| ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC. | 1.18% | |
| VISA INC. | 1.16% | |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 0.81% |
By country
United States 96.23%Ireland 2.51%United Kingdom 0.25%Netherlands 0.22%Bermuda 0.16%By asset type
Stocks 99.73%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 88.5% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $235.2M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -0.65%, -0.07%, +2.80%.
How it works
ESGU is a BlackRock index fund that tries to match, not beat, the MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index. ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. MSCI starts with the MSCI USA Index of large and mid-sized US companies. It removes companies tied to tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms, thermal coal and oil sands, using revenue cutoffs such as $20 million or 5% for some activities. It also drops firms in very severe, ongoing controversies.
MSCI rates each company against industry peers on the ESG risks most likely to bring unexpected costs. A formula sets weights that favor higher-rated companies while keeping risk and returns close to the MSCI USA Index. At each quarterly review, the index's ESG score must be at least 10% better than the MSCI USA Index's. The fund still resembles the broad market: NVIDIA, Apple and Microsoft were its largest holdings as of August 31, 2026.
BlackRock uses representative sampling: the fund may skip some index stocks but aims to match the index's profile. It had 275 holdings as of August 31, 2026. It generally keeps at least 90% of assets in index stocks and may put up to 10% in futures, options, swaps and cash. It may also lend up to one-third of its assets for a fee.
What it really costs
- ESGU charges 0.15% a year, versus an average of 0.06% for the similar funds below (8th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $15 in the first year and $192 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESGU | $15 | $48 | $85 | $192 |
In a retirement portfolio
It spreads money across about 275 large and mid-sized U.S. companies and has stayed close to the broad market, but with an ESG tilt and a higher fee than plain index funds.
ESGU moves with the U.S. stock market, so it falls when stocks fall. It launched in December 2016, so it has no record from the 2008 crisis. Its deepest drop came in the 2020 COVID crash, when it fell 33.9% between February 19 and March 23, 2020. It recovered by August 4, 2020, about 4.4 months after the low. In the 2022 bear market it fell 26.1% and took about 14.5 months from the low to recover, by December 27, 2023. Its worst calendar year was 2022, with a loss of 20.22%. Anyone who has to sell shares in a year like that turns paper losses into real ones. Income is small: the yield was 0.92% as of October 29, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.15% expense ratio is above the 0.06% average for similar funds. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want broad U.S. stock exposure that leaves out tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms and some coal and oil-sands businesses.
- People who want an ESG tilt without straying far from the MSCI USA Index, which ESGU trailed by 0.43 points a year over five years through 2024.
- Long-term holders comfortable with market-like tech exposure, led by NVIDIA, Apple and Microsoft as of August 31, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.15% expense ratio is well above the 0.03% charged by IVV, VOO and USPX.
- Investors wanting strict ESG screening: energy stocks were still about 2.5% of the fund as of August 31, 2026, because weights stay close to the market's.
- Retirees looking for meaningful income: the yield was 0.92% as of October 29, 2026, paid quarterly.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESGU this fund | — | 0.15% | $18.15B | +11.0% | +21.6% |
| BKLC BNY Mellon US Large Cap Core Equity ETF | 80% | 0% | $5.47B | +13.4% | +25.4% |
| USPX Franklin U.S. Equity Index ETF | 77% | 0.03% | $1.98B | +12.9% | +24.9% |
| SPYX SPDR S&P 500 Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF | 77% | 0.2% | $2.74B | +12.6% | +24.8% |
| SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 77% | 0.0945% | $781.19B | +11.5% | +21.9% |
| IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | 77% | 0.03% | $888.13B | +11.5% | +22.0% |
| VV Vanguard Large Cap ETF | 77% | 0.04% | $73.83B | +12.0% | +23.8% |
| VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | 77% | 0.03% | $1.67T | +12.4% | +23.6% |
Questions investors ask
Is ESGU good for retirement?
It may suit retirement savers as a core U.S. stock holding, with some caveats. ESGU owns about 275 large and mid-sized companies and behaves like the broad market: it lost 20.22% in 2022. Its yield was 0.92% as of October 29, 2026, so it provides little income. Its 0.15% expense ratio is also above the 0.06% average for similar funds. It works more as a long-term growth holding than as a steady source of cash.
ESGU vs VOO: what's the difference?
The main differences are the ESG screens and the cost. VOO tracks the S&P 500 with no ESG screens and charges 0.03% a year, compared with 0.15% for ESGU. About 77% of their holdings overlap. As of October 29, 2026, VOO returned 13.2% over one year and 24.9% a year over three years. ESGU returned 13.1% and 24.6%. The fund with the most overlap is BNY Mellon US Large Cap Core Equity ETF (BKLC), at 80%.
Does ESGU pay dividends?
Yes, ESGU pays dividends every quarter. In the 12 months to October 29, 2026, it paid $1.55 per share, a yield of 0.92%. That is a low yield. The fund leans heavily toward large technology companies like NVIDIA, Apple and Microsoft, and growth-focused companies tend to reinvest their earnings rather than pay them out. Investors who want regular income from their stock holdings may want to compare it with funds built around dividends.
Does ESGU hold oil and gas companies?
Yes, it can still hold some energy companies. MSCI removes companies involved in certain thermal coal and oil-sands activities. It also excludes tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms makers and sellers, and companies in very severe ongoing controversies. Even so, energy stocks were about 2.5% of the fund as of August 31, 2026. That's because the index is designed to keep its risk and returns close to the MSCI USA Index.
How has ESGU performed compared with the S&P 500 and the market?
It has stayed close to the market but slightly behind. Through December 31, 2024, ESGU returned 14.13% a year over five years and 14.76% a year since its December 2016 launch. The MSCI USA Index returned 14.56% and 15.00% over the same periods. As of October 29, 2026, ESGU's three-year return of 24.6% a year was the lowest of the nine similar funds it was compared with, behind both IVV and VOO.