Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is VanEck Morningstar International Moat ETF (MOTI) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

A smart beta exchange traded fund, the VanEck Morningstar International Moat ETF (MOTI - Free Report) debuted on 07/13/2015, and offers broad exposure to the World ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

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.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Because the fund has amassed over $213.37 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the World ETFs. MOTI is managed by Van Eck. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Global ex-US Moat Focus Index before fees and expenses.

The Morningstar Global ex-US Moat Focus Index tracks the overall performance of 50 attractively priced companies outside the U.S. with sustainable competitive advantages.

Cost & Other Expenses

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.58%.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.37%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

When you look at individual holdings, Tencent Holdings Ltd accounts for about 2.41% of the fund's total assets, followed by Bt Group Plc (BT/A) and Samsung Electromechanics Co Ltd.

MOTI's top 10 holdings account for about 22.27% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -1.39% so far this year and is down about -3.07% in the last one year (as of 08/06/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $28.08 and $33.70.

The ETF has a beta of 0.80 and standard deviation of 17.90% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 79 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

VanEck Morningstar International Moat ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the World ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $69.28 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $127.40 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VEA charges 0.06%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the World ETFs.

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.

Published in