The cards separate the fund's live record from the longer factor history used for the backtest, then show model fit, cost, valuation, and risk-adjusted results.
Age
26.2 years
2000-Jul → 2026-Sep
Long live record
Backtest Basis
63.2 years
1963-Jul → 2026-Aug
Full long-run factor record
Adj. R²
0.942
Strong model fit
AUM
US$6.9B
Large live fund
MER
0.18%
Low-cost active tilt
Dividend valuation
100
Near fair value
100
80 90 100 110 120+
0.77% Trailing 12-month yield
100 = median · below 100 inexpensive · above 100 rich Dividend valuation scale
Backtested Rel. Sharpe
0.98×
Below market hurdle
R
0.5 1.0 1.3 1.8
Relative to a plain market benchmark. 1.0 = market-like risk-adjusted return; above 1.0 clears the market hurdle.
Smart-β Net
+1.60%
Positive value-add
S
-3% 0% 2.5% 4.5%
Annualized non-market factor contribution plus alpha. Above 0% means the smart-beta sleeve added value over plain market exposure.
Implementation: Core equity. No deterministic enhanced-income or derivative-income mandate detected.

What IJT Is

IJT (iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF) from IShares is a US equity ETF with $6.9B in assets, regressed on the FF6 US over 313 months. The fund tilts toward size (smb) (β=0.81). Backtested-simulation excess return is +7.57% annualized; the in-sample realized excess was +7.47%.

Why IJT Ranks This Way

  • Backtested relative Sharpe is 0.98, below the market's 1.00 benchmark.
  • Realized relative Sharpe is 0.88 over the fund's 313-month live sample.
  • Strongest non-market tilts point toward size (smb) (β=0.81) and toward momentum (umd) (β=0.12).
  • Dividend valuation is near its historical median at 100 on the 100 scale.
Best-fit classification
US Equity FF6 US Regression basis: USD Adj. R² 0.942 Fit window: 313M Backtest basis: 758M

This fund is classified as US Equity because that factor set produced the strongest accepted fit. Backtested figures use the winning model's full factor history (1963-Jul → 2026-Aug, 758 months), while the betas themselves are estimated over the fund-overlap window (313 months).

Factor return decomposition
Each bar = βi × factor return, geometrically annualized. Summary rows are computed from the combined monthly series they name.
Model: FF6 US
Sharpe — Backtested Sim.
0.392
Rel. to market: 0.984
Sharpe — Realized
0.389
Rel. to market: 0.881
How are these computed?

Currency basis: returns and factor contributions on this page are in USD. Fama-French US 6-factor set (Ken French data library, monthly, USD basis).

Classification winner: FF6 US with Adj. R² 0.942.

Factor context panel: each non-market row compares the current fund with stronger-fit public peers using FF6 US. Beta mode shows raw loadings, percentile mode ranks the fund within the positive-exposure subset, and the linked ticker points to the strongest peer in that factor.

Backtested Sim. applies IJT's regression betas to the full factor history (1963-Jul → 2026-Aug, 758 months). Individual factor bars show separately annualized sleeves, while the subtotal rows are computed from the combined monthly non-market and smart-beta series directly. The Sharpe uses IJT's realized in-sample volatility as the denominator — a deliberately conservative choice, since fixed-loading factor returns are smoother than what any real fund actually delivers.

Realized applies the same betas to the factor returns observed during IJT's lifetime only (2000-Aug → 2026-Aug). The Sharpe is the fund's actual excess return over its actual volatility. Full methodology →

Factor exposure context
Each non-market row compares this fund with stronger-fit public peers using FF6 US. Toggle between raw factor beta and percentile rank within the same positive-exposure peer set.
Compared against 334 funds using FF6 US
Peer filter: Equity · AUM floor · 24M+ history · Adj. R² > 0.80 · |βmkt−1| < 0.25 · Non-Mkt > 0
Default view is percentile rank. Switch to β scale when you want the raw loading magnitude.
SMB
-0.30
0
0.24
0.47
0.71
0.95
0
20
40
60
80
90
100
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
β +0.81
82nd pct
t +25.6
Current fund: 82nd percentile of positive peers · Top decile begins at β +0.88 · Leader: AVSC
HML
-0.30
0
0.24
0.47
0.71
0.95
0
20
40
60
80
90
100
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
β +0.07
19th pct
t +2.1
Current fund: 19th percentile of positive peers · Top decile begins at β +0.41 · Leader: KBWB
RMW
-0.30
0
0.24
0.47
0.71
0.95
0
20
40
60
80
90
100
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
β +0.06
19th pct
t +1.7
Current fund: 19th percentile of positive peers · Top decile begins at β +0.27 · Leader: QVAL
CMA
-0.30
0
0.24
0.47
0.71
0.95
0
20
40
60
80
90
100
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
β -0.07
rank n/a
t -1.5
Current fund: non-positive loading · Top decile begins at β +0.23 · Leader: RWJ
UMD
-0.30
0
0.24
0.47
0.71
0.95
0
20
40
60
80
90
100
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
β +0.12
78th pct
t +6.8
Current fund: 78th percentile of positive peers · Top decile begins at β +0.19 · Leader: MTUM
Factor exposures
Factor β t-stat Backtested % Realized %
Size (SMB) 0.807 25.57 +1.46% +1.23%
Value (HML) 0.067 2.06 +0.23% +0.15%
Profitability (RMW) 0.057 1.68 +0.17% +0.26%
Investment (CMA) -0.067 -1.45 -0.20% -0.16%
Momentum (UMD) 0.117 6.83 +0.83% +0.20%
Non-Market Factor Contribution · combined non-market series +2.54% +1.72%
Alpha (intercept) — -0.97 -0.91%
Smart-Beta Net · combined non-market series + alpha +1.60% +0.79%
+ Mkt-RF contribution · market 1.010 51.12 +6.23% +6.97%
= Total excess return +7.57% +7.47%
+ Rf base (%) 4.44% → 12.01% total 1.84% → 9.31% total
Fund snapshot
Issuer
IShares
Asset class
Equity
Inception
2000-07-24
Trailing 12-month yield
0.77%
Div CAGR
8.54%
Dividend valuation
100 (100=median)
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Matches share at least one verified factor exposure with IJT. They are ranked by modeled factor tracking error: the annualized volatility of their factor-return difference, not a return gap or forecast. Both funds use the same 36-month fitting window; a longer factor-volatility check also limits each match to 3% annualized. How matching works.

VIOG
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 0.09%/yr · longer factor history 0.11%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs VIOG
99
Very close factor fit
SLYG
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 0.12%/yr · longer factor history 0.18%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs SLYG
99
Very close factor fit
QVMS
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 1.54%/yr · longer factor history 1.75%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs QVMS
88
Factor-similar
XJR
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 1.54%/yr · longer factor history 2.06%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs XJR
86
Factor-similar
FYX
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 1.91%/yr · longer factor history 2.15%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs FYX
86
Factor-similar
SPSM
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 1.81%/yr · longer factor history 2.26%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs SPSM
85
Factor-similar
IJR
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 1.82%/yr · longer factor history 2.26%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs IJR
85
Factor-similar
VIOO
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 1.86%/yr · longer factor history 2.32%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs VIOO
85
Factor-similar
FNDA
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 2.30%/yr · longer factor history 2.66%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs FNDA
82
Factor-similar
PRFZ
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 2.73%/yr · longer factor history 2.87%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs PRFZ
81
Factor-similar
DFAS
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 2.77%/yr · longer factor history 2.89%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs DFAS
81
Factor-similar
USVM
SMB Modeled factor tracking error 2.94%/yr · longer factor history 2.91%/yr · 36 months through 2026-08
Compare IJT vs USVM
80
Factor-similar

Showing the closest 12; the full cluster page includes every qualifying match.

View full IJT similarity cluster
All US Leaders US Universe Methodology

FAQ

What does this IJT ETF page measure?

This page evaluates IJT using factor regressions, relative Sharpe, valuation, and peer context. It is designed for ETF due diligence rather than quote tracking.

Why can Backtested Sim. and Realized differ?

Both views use the same estimated betas. The difference is the return window: Backtested Sim. applies them to the full factor history, while Realized applies them only during the fund's live sample.

Why might a high-return fund still look weak here?

A fund can post strong raw returns and still look unattractive on this screen if its non-market factor capture is weak, its implementation drag is high, or its volatility-adjusted return profile is weaker than the market.

How should US investors use this page?

Use it as a starting point for ETF selection: check whether the fund's live behavior, valuation, and peer context match its stated strategy.

Research disclaimer

Factor decomposition shows what IJT's historical betas would have earned under each scenario — not a forecast, not investment advice. Backtested simulation assumes loadings stay fixed across the long sample, which is unrealistic for any real-world fund. Use this as one input to ETF due diligence, not a substitute for it.

Important context

VerifiedBeta publishes educational ETF research, not personalized investment advice, portfolio management, or security recommendations. Funds that screen well here can still be unsuitable for your objectives, taxes, liquidity needs, or constraints. Review fund documents, methodology assumptions, and your own circumstances before acting. See the full disclaimer.