Yahoo Finance Is iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 04/16/2013.
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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
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 Blackrock. VLUE has been able to amass assets over $6.86 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund 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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.58%.
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 VLUE, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 28.60% of the portfolio --while Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Intel Corporation Corp (INTC) accounts for about 6.18% of total assets, followed by Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) and At&t Inc (T).
VLUE's top 10 holdings account for about 34.14% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 1.72% and is up roughly 12.01% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 06/17/2024), respectively. VLUE has traded between $85.95 and $108.31 during this last 52-week period.
VLUE has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 17.42% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 155 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.
IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $54.39 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $115.30 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% 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.
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iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE): ETF Research Reports
Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
AT&T Inc. (T) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD): ETF Research Reports
