SUSA: ISHARES ESG OPTIMIZED MSCI USA ETF
Share-split context: A forward split was recorded on Dec 7, 2020 with coefficient 2. A forward split turns each old share into multiple new shares and lowers the quoted price per share proportionally. Proportional ownership is unchanged at the split moment, so the split itself creates neither a gain nor a loss. The price-return figures in this report are already split-adjusted.
ETF Education Report: ISHARES ESG OPTIMIZED MSCI USA ETF (SUSA)
What this ETF is trying to do
The ISHARES ESG OPTIMIZED MSCI USA ETF (SUSA) is an exchange-traded fund that holds a variety of companies. Based on its top holdings, it includes large companies like NVIDIA Corp, Apple Inc, and Microsoft Corp. This ETF holds a total of 207 different companies, though the list provided below shows only the largest ones.
What the numbers show
When looking at how an ETF performs, it is important to understand two different types of returns: price return and total return.
• Price Return: This measures only the change in the share price.
• Total Return: This includes both the share price change and any cash distributions (dividends) paid out.
For SUSA, the numbers show:
• Year-to-Date (YTD): The price return is approximately 13.75%, while the total return is approximately 14.48%.
• One-Year: The price return is approximately 16.38%, while the total return is approximately 17.43%.
• Three-Year: The price return is approximately 76.19%, while the total return is approximately 81.88%.
This ETF has a history of "forward splits." This means that in the past, one old share became multiple new shares. When this happens, the price per share drops proportionally, but your total ownership stays the same. This is a normal part of how some stocks work and does not mean you lost money.
Income and distribution explanation
Some investors look for ETFs that pay out cash, known as distributions. SUSA has a distribution yield of approximately 0.82%. This represents the cash distributed relative to the ETF's price. The trailing distributions were 1.298. These payments usually happen quarterly, and in the last year, there were 4 payouts.
NAV erosion explanation
"NAV erosion" refers to a decline in the Net Asset Value (the actual value of the assets held by the fund). It is important to remember that a falling share price is not the same thing as NAV erosion. For this ETF, the erosion-risk score is 100, and the label indicates "No price erosion detected." There is no severe erosion-risk flag for this fund.
Pros
• The ETF has shown positive price returns and total returns over the one-year and three-year periods.
• The income rating for this ETF is an "A" grade.
Cons
• The distribution yield (0.82%) is relatively low compared to some other types of income-focused funds.
Beginner takeaway
When studying SUSA, notice that the total return is higher than the price return. This tells you that the cash distributions added extra value to the share price growth. Always remember that while distributions provide cash, they are different from the growth of the share price itself.
*** *Note: Top Holdings are partial and subject to change. Data as of 2026-10-07.*
Top Holdings
Structured portfolio holdings supplied by the ETF data provider. These figures are not generated by the AI article.
| # | Holding | Ticker | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVIDIA CORP | NVDA | 7.12% |
| 2 | APPLE INC | AAPL | 6.68% |
| 3 | MICROSOFT CORP | MSFT | 4.41% |
| 4 | ALPHABET INC CLASS C | GOOG | 3.26% |
| 5 | BROADCOM INC | AVGO | 2.50% |
| 6 | ALPHABET INC CLASS A | GOOGL | 1.80% |
| 7 | TESLA INC | TSLA | 1.58% |
| 8 | MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC | MU | 1.57% |
| 9 | ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC | AMD | 1.41% |
| 10 | ELI LILLY AND CO | LLY | 1.39% |