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Should Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/17/2007.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $3.62 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Blend

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.

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 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.52%.

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 Information Technology sector--about 32.70% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 7.79% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) .

Performance and Risk

MGC seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Mega Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Index includes the largest U.S. companies, with a target of including the top 70% of investable market capitalization. The index includes securities traded on NYSE, NYSE Market, NASDAQ or ARCA.

The ETF has lost about -19.87% so far this year and is down about -11.73% in the last one year (as of 09/21/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $128.05 and $169.35.

The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 24.54% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 242 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Mega 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, MGC is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $289.26 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $341.96 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.

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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