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Is JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (JPME) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (JPME - Free Report) made its debut on 05/11/2016, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.

This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.

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

Managed by J.P. Morgan, JPME has amassed assets over $321.53 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend. JPME seeks to match the performance of the Russell Midcap Diversified Factor Index before fees and expenses.

The JP Morgan Diversified Factor US Mid Cap Equity Index utilizes a rules-based approach that combines risk-based portfolio construction with multi-factor security selection, including value, quality and momentum factors.

Cost & Other Expenses

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 cousins, other things remaining the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.24% for JPME, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.82%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Representing 12.50% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector; Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Builders Firstsource Inc (BLDR - Free Report) accounts for about 0.45% of the fund's total assets, followed by Huntsman Corp Common (HUN - Free Report) and Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (LW - Free Report) .

JPME's top 10 holdings account for about 4.39% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added about 2.26% and is down about -6% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 04/17/2023), respectively. JPME has traded between $76.41 and $95.02 during this last 52-week period.

JPME has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 19.60% for the trailing three-year period. With about 364 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO - Free Report) tracks CRSP US Mid Cap Index and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH - Free Report) tracks S&P MidCap 400 Index. Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF has $51.55 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $66.09 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.

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 - Mid 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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