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Should JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (JPSE) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Looking for broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (JPSE - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 11/15/2016.

The fund is sponsored by J.P. Morgan. It has amassed assets over $415.03 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Blend

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.

Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.

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 0.29%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.76%.

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 13.70% of the portfolio. Industrials and Financials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Jpmorgan Us Govt Mmkt Fun accounts for about 0.54% of total assets, followed by Rambus Inc Common Stock (RMBS - Free Report) and Axcelis Technologies Inc (ACLS - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 4.19% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

JPSE seeks to match the performance of the Russell 2000 Diversified Factor Index before fees and expenses. The JP Morgan Diversified Factor US Small 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.

The ETF return is roughly 6.25% so far this year and was up about 1.29% in the last one year (as of 08/29/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $35.20 and $43.54.

The ETF has a beta of 1.15 and standard deviation of 21.92% for the trailing three-year period. With about 578 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Small Cap Equity 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, JPSE is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $54.59 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $69.77 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.

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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