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Should Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF (MGV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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The Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF (MGV - Free Report) was launched on 12/17/2007, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $4.91 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.17%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 23.20% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Industrials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Jpmorgan Chase & Co. (JPM - Free Report) accounts for about 3.57% of total assets, followed by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B - Free Report) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 23.16% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

MGV seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Value Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Value Index is a float-adjusted, market-capitalization-weighted index designed to measure equity market performance of mega-capitalization value stocks in the United States.

The ETF return is roughly 27.17% so far this year and it's up approximately 27.10% in the last one year (as of 12/29/2021). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $85.78 and $106.77.

The ETF has a beta of 0.94 and standard deviation of 22.07% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 151 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, MGV is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $59.85 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $92.12 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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