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Is Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company Index ETF (FNDX) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company Index ETF (FNDX - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 08/13/2013.

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.

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

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.

Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.

Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $11.48 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, FNDX seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI US Large Co. Index.

The Russell RAFI US Large Company Index measures the performance of the large company size segment by fundamental overall company scores.

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.25% for FNDX, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.02%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, 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 17.90% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 4.49% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B (BRK/B).

FNDX's top 10 holdings account for about 20.59% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added roughly 4.34% so far this year and is up about 5.01% in the last one year (as of 11/02/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $52 and $59.78.

The fund has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 16.68% for the trailing three-year period, which makes FNDX a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 730 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company Index ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $46.85 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $96.04 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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 Value.

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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