Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF (ISCV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Read MoreHide Full Article

The iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF (ISCV - Free Report) was launched on 06/28/2004, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $397.79 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Value

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.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. While value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.06%, making it the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.30%.

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 Financials sector--about 28.30% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Industrials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Xpo Inc (XPO - Free Report) accounts for about 0.53% of total assets, followed by Assurant Inc (AIZ - Free Report) and Affirm Holdings Inc Class A (AFRM - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 4.39% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

ISCV seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US SML CP BRD VLUE EXTD INDX before fees and expenses. The Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Value Extended Index comprises of small-capitalization U.S. equities that exhibit value characteristics.

The ETF has lost about -3.90% so far this year and it's up approximately 6.88% in the last one year (as of 01/22/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $47.77 and $59.95.

The ETF has a beta of 1.27 and standard deviation of 21.78% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1143 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, ISCV is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $11.81 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $26.34 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.07%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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.

Published in