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Launched on 05/16/2017, the IQ Chaikin U.S. Small Cap ETF (CSML) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Indexiq. It has amassed assets over $507.62 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
Sitting at a market capitalization below $2 billion, small cap companies tend to be high-potential stocks compared to its large and mid cap counterparts, but come with higher risk.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.35%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.55%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 28.40% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Fossil Group Inc (FOSL) accounts for about 0.90% of total assets, followed by Essendant Inc (ESND) and J. Jill Inc (JILL).
The top 10 holdings account for about 7.32% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
CSML seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ Chaikin Power US Small Cap Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ Chaikin Power US Small Cap Index is a rules-based, quantitative index designed to enhance the NASDAQ US 1500 Index, by selecting stocks with the highest Chaikin Power Gauge rating.
The ETF has added about 4.02% so far this year and was up about 21.42% in the last one year (as of 08/20/2018). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $24.03 and $29.80.
With about 217 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IQ Chaikin U.S. Small Cap ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, CSML is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Small Cap ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.