We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Is iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
The iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE - Free Report) made its debut on 04/16/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value 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.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well 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.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $7.05 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, VLUE seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index.
The MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index is based on a traditional market capitalization-weighted parent index, the MSCI USA Index which includes U.S. large and mid capitalization stocks.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for VLUE, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
VLUE's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.55%.
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.
Representing 29.70% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO - Free Report) accounts for about 6.04% of the fund's total assets, followed by At&t Inc (T - Free Report) and International Business Machines Co (IBM - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 34.92% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, VLUE has gained about 10.12%, and is up about 28.62% in the last one year (as of 10/24/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $85.95 and $111.14.
VLUE has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 17.45% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 153 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $63.01 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $129.15 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Value.
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.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Is iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE - Free Report) made its debut on 04/16/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value 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.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well 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.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $7.05 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, VLUE seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index.
The MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index is based on a traditional market capitalization-weighted parent index, the MSCI USA Index which includes U.S. large and mid capitalization stocks.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for VLUE, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
VLUE's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.55%.
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.
Representing 29.70% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO - Free Report) accounts for about 6.04% of the fund's total assets, followed by At&t Inc (T - Free Report) and International Business Machines Co (IBM - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 34.92% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, VLUE has gained about 10.12%, and is up about 28.62% in the last one year (as of 10/24/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $85.95 and $111.14.
VLUE has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 17.45% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 153 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $63.01 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $129.15 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Value.
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.