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Should Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/16/2016.

The fund is sponsored by Pacer Etfs. It has amassed assets over $24.96 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

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. Considering long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets; however, they are more likely to underperform growth 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 0.49%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.98%.

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 Consumer Discretionary sector--about 20.10% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Energy round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, 3m Co (MMM - Free Report) accounts for about 2.47% of total assets, followed by Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD - Free Report) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 21.97% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

COWZ seeks to match the performance of the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index before fees and expenses. The Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to large and mid-capitalization U.S. companies with high free cash flow yields.

The ETF has added about 11.78% so far this year and was up about 17.33% in the last one year (as of 08/27/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $47.09 and $58.11.

The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 19% for the trailing three-year period. With about 102 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Pacer US Cash Cows 100 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, COWZ is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $59.81 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $123.96 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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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