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Is WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES - Free Report) made its debut on 02/23/2007, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Wisdomtree, and has been able to amass over $676.79 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, EES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Earnings Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the small-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.
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.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.38% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.36%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
For EES, it has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector --about 26.50% of the portfolio --while Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Valaris Ltd (G9460G101) accounts for about 0.78% of total assets, followed by Academy Sports & Outdoors Inc (ASO - Free Report) and Brighthouse Financial Inc (BHF - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 6.18% of EES's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF has added about 1.11% so far, and is up roughly 17.67% over the last 12 months (as of 02/14/2025). EES has traded between $45.98 and $58.78 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.25 and standard deviation of 21.98% for the trailing three-year period, which makes EES a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 932 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV - Free Report) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index. Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF has $15.99 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $31.83 billion. AVUV has an expense ratio of 0.25% and VBR charges 0.07%.
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 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.
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Is WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES - Free Report) made its debut on 02/23/2007, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Wisdomtree, and has been able to amass over $676.79 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, EES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Earnings Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the small-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.
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.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.38% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.36%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
For EES, it has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector --about 26.50% of the portfolio --while Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Valaris Ltd (G9460G101) accounts for about 0.78% of total assets, followed by Academy Sports & Outdoors Inc (ASO - Free Report) and Brighthouse Financial Inc (BHF - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 6.18% of EES's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF has added about 1.11% so far, and is up roughly 17.67% over the last 12 months (as of 02/14/2025). EES has traded between $45.98 and $58.78 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.25 and standard deviation of 21.98% for the trailing three-year period, which makes EES a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 932 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV - Free Report) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index. Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF has $15.99 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $31.83 billion. AVUV has an expense ratio of 0.25% and VBR charges 0.07%.
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 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.