We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Is iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
The iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU - Free Report) made its debut on 12/01/2016, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
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
Because the fund has amassed over $13.44 billion, this makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Growth. ESGU is managed by Blackrock. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Focus Index.
The MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index comprises of U.S. companies that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those of the parent index.
Cost & Other Expenses
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for ESGU, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.35%.
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.
For ESGU, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 31.30% of the portfolio --while Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) accounts for about 6.68% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 30.66% of ESGU's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF return is roughly 6.20% so far, and is up about 28% over the last 12 months (as of 02/28/2024). ESGU has traded between $85.25 and $111.66 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 17.89% for the trailing three-year period. With about 292 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV - Free Report) tracks FTSE US ALL CAP CHOICE INDEX and the JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ - Free Report) tracks ----------------------------------------. Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF has $8.02 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $10.47 billion. ESGV has an expense ratio of 0.09% and JEPQ charges 0.35%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Growth.
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.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Is iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU - Free Report) made its debut on 12/01/2016, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
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
Because the fund has amassed over $13.44 billion, this makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Growth. ESGU is managed by Blackrock. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Focus Index.
The MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index comprises of U.S. companies that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those of the parent index.
Cost & Other Expenses
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for ESGU, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.35%.
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.
For ESGU, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 31.30% of the portfolio --while Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) accounts for about 6.68% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 30.66% of ESGU's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF return is roughly 6.20% so far, and is up about 28% over the last 12 months (as of 02/28/2024). ESGU has traded between $85.25 and $111.66 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 17.89% for the trailing three-year period. With about 292 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV - Free Report) tracks FTSE US ALL CAP CHOICE INDEX and the JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ - Free Report) tracks ----------------------------------------. Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF has $8.02 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $10.47 billion. ESGV has an expense ratio of 0.09% and JEPQ charges 0.35%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Growth.
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.