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Should Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $69.08 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Blend

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. These types of companies, then, have a good balance of stability and growth potential.

Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.

Costs

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.04%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.54%.

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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 18.30% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Financials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Amphenol Corp (APH - Free Report) accounts for about 0.98% of total assets, followed by Transdigm Group Inc (TDG - Free Report) and Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 0.98% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

VO seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Mid Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Mid Cap Index targets inclusion of the U.S. companies that fall between the top 70%-85% of investable market capitalization.

The ETF has gained about 13.63% so far this year and was up about 30.84% in the last one year (as of 10/04/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $195.66 and $263.83.

The ETF has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 18.73% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 322 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF has $36.12 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $89.85 billion. IWR has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJH charges 0.05%.

Bottom-Line

Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also 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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