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Is iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (SMLF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (SMLF - Free Report) was launched on 04/28/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
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.
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
SMLF is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $1.50 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Blend. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Small Cap Diversified Multiple-Factor Index.
The STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index (USD) composed of U.S. small-capitalization stocks that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints.
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 SMLF, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
SMLF's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 0.84%.
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 in the Industrials sector - about 18.40% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Emcor Group Inc (EME - Free Report) accounts for about 0.94% of the fund's total assets, followed by Applovin Corp Class A (APP - Free Report) and Evercore Inc Class A (EVR - Free Report) .
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 23.28% and is up about 31.93% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 12/13/2024), respectively. SMLF has traded between $56.47 and $74.15 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 21.12% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 858 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM - Free Report) tracks Russell 2000 Index and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Index. IShares Russell 2000 ETF has $80.84 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $93.48 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR 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 Style Box - Small Cap Blend.
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.
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Is iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (SMLF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (SMLF - Free Report) was launched on 04/28/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
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.
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
SMLF is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $1.50 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Blend. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Small Cap Diversified Multiple-Factor Index.
The STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index (USD) composed of U.S. small-capitalization stocks that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints.
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 SMLF, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
SMLF's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 0.84%.
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 in the Industrials sector - about 18.40% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Emcor Group Inc (EME - Free Report) accounts for about 0.94% of the fund's total assets, followed by Applovin Corp Class A (APP - Free Report) and Evercore Inc Class A (EVR - Free Report) .
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 23.28% and is up about 31.93% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 12/13/2024), respectively. SMLF has traded between $56.47 and $74.15 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 21.12% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 858 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM - Free Report) tracks Russell 2000 Index and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Index. IShares Russell 2000 ETF has $80.84 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $93.48 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR 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 Style Box - Small Cap Blend.
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.