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Is Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC - Free Report) was launched on 08/13/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Charles Schwab, and has been able to amass over $2.56 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI Developed ex-U.S. Small Co. Index (Net).
The Russell RAFI Developed ex US Small Company Index (Net) measures the performance of the small company size segment by fundamental overall company scores, which are created using as the universe the developed ex U.S. companies in the FTSE Global Total Cap Index.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.39%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.97%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Meg Energy Corp (MEG - Free Report) accounts for about 0.30% of the fund's total assets, followed by Whitehaven Coal Ltd (WHC) and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construc.
The top 10 holdings account for about 2.21% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -13.49% and is down about -14.78% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 05/17/2022), respectively. FNDC has traded between $31.57 and $40.84 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.92 and standard deviation of 21.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a low risk choice in the space. With about 1658 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $47.33 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $97.68 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.07% and VEA charges 0.05%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Developed World ETFs.
Bottom Line
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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Is Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC - Free Report) was launched on 08/13/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Charles Schwab, and has been able to amass over $2.56 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI Developed ex-U.S. Small Co. Index (Net).
The Russell RAFI Developed ex US Small Company Index (Net) measures the performance of the small company size segment by fundamental overall company scores, which are created using as the universe the developed ex U.S. companies in the FTSE Global Total Cap Index.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.39%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.97%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Meg Energy Corp (MEG - Free Report) accounts for about 0.30% of the fund's total assets, followed by Whitehaven Coal Ltd (WHC) and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construc.
The top 10 holdings account for about 2.21% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -13.49% and is down about -14.78% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 05/17/2022), respectively. FNDC has traded between $31.57 and $40.84 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.92 and standard deviation of 21.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a low risk choice in the space. With about 1658 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $47.33 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $97.68 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.07% and VEA charges 0.05%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Developed World ETFs.
Bottom Line
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.