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Should SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Value ETF (SLYV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Launched on 09/25/2000, the SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Value ETF (SLYV - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $3.98 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Value

Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.

Value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios. They also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

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.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.15%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.98%.

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 Financials sector--about 22.20% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Helmerich & Payne Inc. (HP - Free Report) accounts for about 0.95% of total assets, followed by South Jersey Industries Inc. and Pbf Energy Inc. Class A (PBF - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 7.21% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

SLYV seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index measures the performance of the small-capitalization value sector in the U.S. equity market. The selection universe for the S&P SmallCap 600 Index includes all U.S. common equities listed on the NYSE, NASDAQ Global Select Market, NASDAQ Select Market and NASDAQ Capital Market with market capitalizations between $250 million and $1.2 billion.

The ETF has lost about -10.37% so far this year and is down about -13.71% in the last one year (as of 11/08/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $67.14 and $90.07.

The ETF has a beta of 1.17 and standard deviation of 32.62% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 464 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Value ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, SLYV is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) and the Vanguard SmallCap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $12.15 billion in assets, Vanguard SmallCap Value ETF has $23.40 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VBR charges 0.07%.

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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