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Should WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF (EPS) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Launched on 02/23/2007, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF (EPS - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $750.79 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

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. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.72%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 24.40% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Alphabet Inc-Cl A (GOOGL - Free Report) accounts for about 6.08% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Meta Platformsinc. Cl A .

The top 10 holdings account for about 32.33% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

EPS seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Earnings 500 Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.

The ETF return is roughly 22.86% so far this year and was up about 22.80% in the last one year (as of 12/27/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $40.99 and $50.34.

The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 16.70% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 506 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap 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, EPS is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $55.17 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $105.26 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also 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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