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Should iShares Russell MidCap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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The iShares Russell MidCap ETF (IWR - Free Report) was launched on 07/17/2001, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $27.55 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Compared to large and small cap companies, mid cap businesses tend to have higher growth prospects and are less volatile, respectively, with market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
Costs
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.19%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.27%.
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 to the Information Technology sector--about 16.30% of the portfolio. Industrials and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Marvell Technology Inc (MRVL - Free Report) accounts for about 0.52% of total assets, followed by Pioneer Natural Resource (PXD - Free Report) and Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 4.42% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IWR seeks to match the performance of the Russell MidCap Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Midcap Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has lost about -15.25% so far this year and is down about -6.59% in the last one year (as of 05/16/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $67.31 and $85.28.
The ETF has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 25.47% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 833 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Russell MidCap 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, IWR is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Vanguard MidCap ETF (VO - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF (IJH - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard MidCap ETF has $48.70 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF has $59.65 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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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Should iShares Russell MidCap ETF (IWR) Be on Your Investing Radar?
The iShares Russell MidCap ETF (IWR - Free Report) was launched on 07/17/2001, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $27.55 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Compared to large and small cap companies, mid cap businesses tend to have higher growth prospects and are less volatile, respectively, with market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
Costs
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.19%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.27%.
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 to the Information Technology sector--about 16.30% of the portfolio. Industrials and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Marvell Technology Inc (MRVL - Free Report) accounts for about 0.52% of total assets, followed by Pioneer Natural Resource (PXD - Free Report) and Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 4.42% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IWR seeks to match the performance of the Russell MidCap Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Midcap Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has lost about -15.25% so far this year and is down about -6.59% in the last one year (as of 05/16/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $67.31 and $85.28.
The ETF has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 25.47% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 833 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Russell MidCap 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, IWR is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Vanguard MidCap ETF (VO - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF (IJH - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard MidCap ETF has $48.70 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF has $59.65 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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.