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Should ALPS (OUSA) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the ALPS (OUSA - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/14/2015.

The fund is sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $704.50 million, 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. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

Value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios. They also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.48%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.79%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 22.60% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Appleinc. (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 5.30% of total assets, followed by Microsoftcorp. (MSFT - Free Report) and Comcastcorp. (CMCSA - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 40% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

OUSA seeks to match the performance of the FTSE US Qual / Vol / Yield Factor 5% Capped Index before fees and expenses. The OShares U.S. Quality Dividend Index measures the performance of publicly-listed large-capitalization and mid-capitalization dividend-paying issuers in the United States.

The ETF has added about 0.69% so far this year and is up about 24.16% in the last one year (as of 01/16/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $40.56 and $46.41.

The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 14.26% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

ALPS 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, OUSA is a great 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 $53.16 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $106.02 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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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