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Should Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF (FNDA) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Looking for broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF (FNDA - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 08/13/2013.

The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $8.35 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Value

Sitting at a market capitalization below $2 billion, small cap companies tend to be high-potential stocks compared to its large and mid cap counterparts, but come with higher risk.

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. While value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.25%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.38%.

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 Industrials sector--about 21.10% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Super Micro Computer Inc (SMCI - Free Report) accounts for about 0.94% of total assets, followed by Abercrombie And Fitch Class A (ANF - Free Report) and Echostar Corp Class A (SATS - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 4.38% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

FNDA seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI US Small Co. Index before fees and expenses. The Russell RAFI US Small Company Index measures the performance of the small company size segment by fundamental overall company scores.

The ETF has added about 1.84% so far this year and was up about 23.23% in the last one year (as of 06/03/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $44.98 and $57.21.

The ETF has a beta of 1.20 and standard deviation of 21.32% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 954 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index 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, FNDA is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $11.78 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $28.49 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.07%.

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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