Looking for broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF (SMMV), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/07/2016.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $795.46 million, 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
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.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.89%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 19.30% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Industrials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Royal Gold Inc (RGLD) accounts for about 2.06% of total assets, followed by Fti Consulting Inc (FCN) and Landstar System Inc (LSTR).
The top 10 holdings account for about 15.35% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
SMMV seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Small Cap Minimum Volatility (USD) Index before fees and expenses. The MSCI USA Small Cap Minimum Volatility (USD) Index comprises of small-capitalization U.S. equities that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility characteristics relative to the small-capitalization U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added about 0.27% so far this year and is down about -2.73% in the last one year (as of 05/01/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $31.91 and $37.05.
The ETF has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 16.40% for the trailing three-year period. With about 300 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor 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, SMMV is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.