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Should iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (IJK) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, look no further than the iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (IJK - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/24/2000.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $9.44 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Growth

Mid cap companies have market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. They usually have higher growth prospects than large cap companies and are less volatile than small cap companies. Thus they have a nice balance of growth potential and stability.

Growth stocks have higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. While these are expected to grow faster than the broader market, they also have higher valuations. Additionally, growth stocks have a greater level of risk associated with them. They are likely to outperform value stocks in strong bull markets but over the longer-term, value stocks have delivered better returns than growth stocks in almost all markets.

Costs

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 counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.17%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.97%.

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 28.30% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Information Technology round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Vistra Corp (VST - Free Report) accounts for about 1.61% of total assets, followed by Williams Sonoma Inc (WSM - Free Report) and Reliance Steel & Aluminum (RS - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 12.43% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

IJK seeks to match the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization growth sector of the U.S. equity market.

The ETF has gained about 10.19% so far this year and is up roughly 22.38% in the last one year (as of 06/05/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $67.78 and $91.25.

The ETF has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 20.78% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 250 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth 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, IJK is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (VOT - Free Report) and the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (IWP - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF has $12.87 billion in assets, iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF has $13.79 billion. VOT has an expense ratio of 0.07% and IWP charges 0.23%.

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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