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Should WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF (EZM) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF (EZM - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 02/23/2007.

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $790.23 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Value

With market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion, mid cap companies usually contain higher growth prospects than large cap companies, and are considered less risky than their small cap counterparts. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.

While 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

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.38%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.29%.

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 20.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, American Airlines Group Inc (AAL - Free Report) accounts for about 0.88% of total assets, followed by Toll Brothers Inc (TOL - Free Report) and United States Steel Corp (X - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 6.98% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

EZM seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Earnings Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the mid-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.

The ETF has lost about -3.03% so far this year and is up about 9.75% in the last one year (as of 01/19/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $47.01 and $57.98.

The ETF has a beta of 1.24 and standard deviation of 21.58% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 552 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, EZM is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $12.68 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $15.91 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 0.07%.

Bottom-Line

Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also 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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