At a glance
SUSC charges 0.18% a year, above the 0.07% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 8). It has $1.29B in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 4.78% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned −1.7% with distributions reinvested, 6th of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +6.1% a year. At its worst it fell 18.9% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 18.8% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 35 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 3.0% of the fund, out of 3,969 in all.
The short version
iShares ESG Aware USD Corporate Bond ETF (SUSC) holds investment-grade US dollar corporate bonds and tracks the Bloomberg MSCI US Corporate ESG Focus Index. That index leans toward companies with stronger ESG (environmental, social and governance) ratings. It aims to behave much like the broad corporate bond market while screening out tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms and some fossil fuel businesses. The trade-off is cost: 0.18% a year, versus 0.04% for iShares' broad corporate bond fund, USIG.
Price history
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SUSC -1.7% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSC official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +7.56% | — | -0.29% | — | +2.52% |
| Bloomberg US Universal Index index, same period | — | +7.58% | — | +0.06% | — | +2.12% |
| Bloomberg MSCIUS Corporate ESG Focus Index index, same period | — | +7.83% | — | -0.07% | — | +2.79% |
| SUSC price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -1.0% | -1.7% | +6.1% | -0.3% | — | +2.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, SUSC returned -1.7%, 6th of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was -0.3%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 18.9% and regained its old high 2.9 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-16.0%); its best was 2019 (+14.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 22.4% (Aug 3, 2021 to Oct 20, 2022), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -1.0% | — |
| 2025 | +7.6% | +7.56% |
| 2024 | +1.8% | +2.03% |
| 2023 | +8.6% | +8.48% |
| 2022 | -16.0% | -16.11% |
| 2021 | -1.5% | -1.33% |
| 2020 | +9.5% | +9.76% |
| 2019 | +14.4% | +14.58% |
| 2018 | -3.1% | -2.79% |
| 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 11.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 18.9%, back to its old high 2.9 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 18.8% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 18.8%, back to its old high 34.9 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.7985 | |
| 2025 | $1.0300 | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $0.9700 | +9.0% |
| 2023 | $0.8900 | +34.8% |
| 2022 | $0.6600 | +6.5% |
| 2021 | $0.6200 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | $0.6108 | -23.7% |
| 2019 | $0.8000 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | $0.7900 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 3,969 securities; the ten largest made up 2.98% of assets, and 8.56% sat in cash and money-market holdings.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| SALESFORCE INC Bonds and notes | 0.38% | |
| AVANGRID INC Bonds and notes | 0.38% | |
| AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSNG Bonds and notes | 0.36% | |
| NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA Bonds and notes | 0.31% | |
| AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSNG Bonds and notes | 0.29% | |
| NEXTERA ENERGY CAPITAL Bonds and notes | 0.26% | |
| CHENIERE ENERGY INC Bonds and notes | 0.26% | |
| COMMONWEALTH BK AUSTR NY Bonds and notes | 0.25% | |
| DIGITAL REALTY TRUST LP Bonds and notes | 0.25% | |
| EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES COR Bonds and notes | 0.24% | |
| KONINKLIJKE KPN NV Bonds and notes | 0.24% | |
| ADOBE INC Bonds and notes | 0.23% | |
| CRH SMW FINANCE DAC Bonds and notes | 0.23% | |
| SBA COMMUNICATIONS CORP Bonds and notes | 0.22% | |
| CH ROBINSON WORLDWIDE Bonds and notes | 0.22% |
By country
United States 79.84%United Kingdom 4.71%Canada 3.98%Japan 2.18%Ireland 1.66%By issuer
Companies 93.79%Other 4.47%The bonds mature in 10.5 years on average (weighted by size), with an average coupon of 4.57%.
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 withdrew a net $99.4M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.20%, -1.67%, +0.42%.
How it works
The index starts with the Bloomberg US Corporate Index, its "parent." That index holds investment-grade, fixed-rate, taxable US dollar corporate bonds with at least one year left before they mature. Bloomberg then removes companies involved in tobacco, controversial weapons, and making or selling civilian firearms. It also removes some fossil fuel activity, such as thermal coal and oil sands, using revenue limits like $20 million or 5% of revenue. Companies in very severe controversies, and companies with no MSCI ESG rating, are also dropped.
Next, a computer model sets the weights. It favors issuers with higher MSCI ratings and requires an overall ESG score at least 10% better than the parent index, while keeping risk and return close to the parent. So this is a tilt, not a strict screen. Energy issuers such as Cheniere Energy still appear among the largest holdings. MSCI rates each company against its industry peers on issues like climate change and on how well it manages them. The index is updated on the last business day of each month.
BlackRock's adviser uses "representative sampling." That means it buys a sample of bonds that matches the index on duration (sensitivity to interest rates), credit ratings and yield, and keeps at least 80% of assets in index bonds. As of August 31, 2026, the fund had 3,969 holdings, and the top 10 made up just 2.98% of assets. The average maturity was 10.5 years. Because of that maturity, rising interest rates can push prices down noticeably.
What it really costs
- SUSC charges 0.18% a year, versus an average of 0.07% for the similar funds below (7th of 8, 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).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSC | $18 | $58 | $101 | $230 |
Structure and tax notes
- Bond prices move opposite to interest rates; the longer the maturities it holds, the more its price reacts to rate changes.
In a retirement portfolio
It pays monthly interest from a broad spread of investment-grade corporate bonds, but it has fallen sharply when interest rates rose, so it is not a safe-haven holding.
SUSC could add monthly income from high-quality corporate bonds. Its trailing 12-month yield was 4.78% as of October 27, 2026. It did not hold steady in every downturn. In the 2020 COVID sell-off it fell 18.9% in under two weeks, then recovered in about three months. Rising rates did more damage: it lost 16.11% in 2022, its worst calendar year, and took about 35 months to regain its early-2022 peak. Its deepest drop, 22.4% from August 2021 to October 2022, had not been fully recovered as of October 27, 2026. Anyone selling shares for spending in a year like 2022 would have locked in losses. Costs are 0.18% a year ($18 on $10,000 in the SEC's standard example), above the 0.07% average of 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 wanting monthly income from investment-grade corporate bonds; the trailing yield was 4.78% as of October 27, 2026.
- People who want to avoid tobacco, controversial weapons, civilian firearms and thermal coal issuers while staying close to the Bloomberg US Corporate Index.
- Those who value wide diversification: 3,969 holdings, with the top 10 under 3% of assets as of August 31, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.18% expense ratio is more than four times USIG's 0.04% and ranks 7th of 8 among similar funds.
- Anyone needing stability when rates rise; it lost 16.11% in 2022 and needed about 35 months to regain its early-2022 peak.
- Those wanting a strictly fossil fuel–free fund; this is an ESG tilt, and it still holds energy bonds such as Cheniere Energy.
Close alternatives
Matched by bond funds with the closest average maturity and issuer mix (N-PORT).
| Fund | Avg. maturity | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSC this fund | 10.5 yrs | 0.18% | $1.29B | -1.7% | +6.1% |
| USIG iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporat… | 10.3 yrs | 0.04% | $17.85B | -0.9% | +5.7% |
| JAAA Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF | 11.4 yrs | 0.2% | $29.21B | +4.9% | +6.1% |
| IGIB iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporat… | 8.3 yrs | 0.04% | $18.72B | -1.0% | +6.4% |
| SCHI Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF | 8.1 yrs | 0.03% | $11.60B | -1.8% | +6.9% |
| LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate … | 13 yrs | 0.14% | $32.04B | -2.3% | +5.2% |
| VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond E… | 8.2 yrs | 0.03% | $72.04B | -0.6% | +7.1% |
| SPIB SPDR Portfolio Intermediate Term Corporate … | 5.6 yrs | 0.04% | $11.57B | 0.0% | +6.1% |
Questions investors ask
Does SUSC pay monthly dividends?
Yes. SUSC pays income every month. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $1.07 per share, a trailing yield of 4.78%. The money comes from interest on its corporate bonds, which had an average coupon (the bond's stated interest rate) of 4.57% as of August 31, 2026. Payments can change. Income may fall if interest rates drop and the fund has to reinvest in lower-yielding bonds.
What's the difference between SUSC and USIG?
Both are iShares investment-grade corporate bond funds with similar average maturities: 10.5 years for SUSC and 10.3 years for USIG. USIG covers the broad market for 0.04% a year. SUSC adds ESG screens and a tilt toward higher-rated issuers for 0.18%. USIG is much larger, with about $17.8 billion in net assets against SUSC's $1.29 billion as of August 31, 2026. One-year price returns were -1.7% for SUSC (to October 27, 2026) and -1.1% for USIG (to October 29, 2026).
Is SUSC safe for retirement savings?
It is lower risk than stocks, but it can still lose money. SUSC holds investment-grade bonds, yet it lost 16.11% in 2022 when interest rates rose sharply. Its worst quarter was -7.61%, in early 2022. Its one-year volatility was 4.4% as of October 27, 2026. Credit risk also applies: a company could miss payments or have its rating cut. Its 10.5-year average maturity makes its price sensitive to changes in interest rates.
How has SUSC performed compared with its index?
It has trailed its index slightly, as you would expect from a fund that charges fees. As of December 31, 2025, SUSC returned 7.56% over one year against 7.83% for the Bloomberg MSCI US Corporate ESG Focus Index. Over five years it returned -0.29% a year against -0.07%. Since its July 2017 launch it returned 2.52% a year against 2.79%. The gaps reflect costs and its sampling approach, which means it does not hold every bond in the index.
What companies does the SUSC ESG screen exclude?
The index removes companies involved in tobacco, controversial weapons, and making or selling civilian firearms. It also removes some fossil fuel activity, such as thermal coal mining, coal-fired power and oil sands, based on revenue limits. Companies in very severe controversies, and companies without an MSCI rating, are dropped too. The remaining bonds are weighted toward higher ESG scores. The fund still holds energy and utility issuers, such as Cheniere Energy, NextEra Energy Capital and Avangrid.