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Is SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Launched on 04/15/2015, the SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
QUS is managed by State Street Global Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $907.58 million, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Blend. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Factor Mix A-Series Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI USA Factor Mix A-Series Index measures the equity market performance of large and mid-cap companies across the U.S. equity market. It aims to represent the performance of a combination of three factors: value, quality, and low volatility.
Cost & Other Expenses
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.
With one of the cheaper products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.15%.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.48%.
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 in the Information Technology sector - about 26.20% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 3.33% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corporation (MSFT - Free Report) and Unitedhealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) .
QUS's top 10 holdings account for about 18.26% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -12.45% so far this year and is down about -10.02% in the last one year (as of 12/08/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $101.25 and $131.16.
QUS has a beta of 0.92 and standard deviation of 23.91% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 630 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) tracks S&P 500 Index and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) tracks S&P 500 Index. IShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $301.86 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $366.38 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Blend.
Bottom Line
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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Is SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 04/15/2015, the SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
QUS is managed by State Street Global Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $907.58 million, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Blend. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Factor Mix A-Series Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI USA Factor Mix A-Series Index measures the equity market performance of large and mid-cap companies across the U.S. equity market. It aims to represent the performance of a combination of three factors: value, quality, and low volatility.
Cost & Other Expenses
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.
With one of the cheaper products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.15%.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.48%.
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 in the Information Technology sector - about 26.20% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 3.33% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corporation (MSFT - Free Report) and Unitedhealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) .
QUS's top 10 holdings account for about 18.26% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -12.45% so far this year and is down about -10.02% in the last one year (as of 12/08/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $101.25 and $131.16.
QUS has a beta of 0.92 and standard deviation of 23.91% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 630 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) tracks S&P 500 Index and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) tracks S&P 500 Index. IShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $301.86 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $366.38 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Blend.
Bottom Line
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.