ETF Evaluator:
ProShares Large Cap Core Plus (CSM)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 30)
Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
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Risk
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ETF Details
ProShares Large Cap Core Plus Overview
ProShares Large Cap Core Plus (CSM) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). ProShares launched the ETF in 2009.
The investment seeks investment results, before fees and expenses, that track the performance of the UBS 130/30 Index.
The fund invests in financial instruments that ProShare Advisors believes, in combination, should track the performance of the index. The index is designed to replicate a “130/30” investment strategy by establishing either long or short positions in 500 of the leading large-cap U.S. companies based on a multi-factor model. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in components of the index or in instruments with similar economic characteristics.
About ProShares Large Cap Core Plus (CSM)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.46 years: Michael Neches (2013) and Tarak Davé (2018). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and UBS 130/30 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. ProShares Large Cap Core Plus has 309 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 30.6% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
ProShares Large Cap Core Plus is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. ProShares Large Cap Core Plus has 0.5% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 91.2% There is 0.5% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). ProShares Large Cap Core Plus has 6.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $510 million in total assets, which is below the $13 billion average for the Large Blend category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
CSM Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The ProShares Large Cap Core Plus expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. ProShares Large Cap Core Plus has an expense ratio of 0.45%, which is 7% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. ProShares Large Cap Core Plus has a portfolio turnover rate of 66%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 162% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, ProShares Large Cap Core Plus returned -1.9%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Large Blend category had an average return of -0.0%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
ProShares Large Cap Core Plus has a trailing yield of 1.05%, which is below the 1.12% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
ProShares Large Cap Core Plus Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 7.7%, 2.7 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 22.3% over the past year (grade of B), 20.0% over the past three years (grade of C) and 12.7% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 14.2% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
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CSM Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| CSM Return (NAV) | -1.9% | 13.8% | 22.3% | 20.0% | 12.7% | 14.2% |
| CSM Return (Price) | -1.8% | 14.2% | 22.3% | 20.0% | 12.7% | 14.2% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.044% | -0.416% | 0.010% | 0.021% | 0.004% | -0.008% |
| Large Blend Avg | -0.0% | 14.5% | 20.9% | 18.8% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
| CSM Grade (NAV) | F | D | B | C | C | C |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -1.9% | -0.7% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.2% |
| CSM Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
CSM Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| CSM Return (NAV) | 7.7% | 21.7% | 22.1% | 23.1% | -17.9% | 32.7% | 11.0% | 29.2% | -7.8% | 22.5% | 13.8% |
| CSM Return (Price) | 7.5% | 21.8% | 22.1% | 23.5% | -18.3% | 33.1% | 10.9% | 29.3% | -7.9% | 22.5% | 13.7% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.016% | 0.009% | -0.002% | 0.016% | 0.023% | 0.012% | -0.006% | 0.1% | 0.9% | 0.1% | -0.5% |
| Large Blend Avg | 10.3% | 15.4% | 21.8% | 22.9% | -17.1% | 26.9% | 18.6% | 29.7% | -5.0% | 21.6% | 11.2% |
| CSM Grade (NAV) | D | A | C | C | C | A | F | D | F | B | A |
| +/- Category | -2.7% | 6.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | -0.8% | 5.8% | -7.6% | -0.5% | -2.9% | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.00 |
| R-Squared: | 98% |
| Standard Deviation: | 13.3% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.99 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.09 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.1% |
| Total Assets: | $ 510 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 510 Mil |
| Turnover: | 66.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.45% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 12.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.5 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Neches Michael (2013), Davé Tarak (2018) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 309 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 30.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.5% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 91.2% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.5% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 1.9% |
| Cash: | 6.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | ProShares |
| Phone Number: | 866-776-5125 |
| Website: | www.proshares.com |
| Inception Date: | July 13, 2009 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.45% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.42% |