Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF (VIOO) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Launched on 09/09/2010, the Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF (VIOO - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $2.53 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Blend

Sitting at a market capitalization below $2 billion, small cap companies tend to be high-potential stocks compared to its large and mid cap counterparts, but come with 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

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 0.10%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.49%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 18% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Rambus Inc (RMBS - Free Report) accounts for about 0.72% of total assets, followed by Comfort Systems Usa Inc (FIX - Free Report) and Elf Beauty Inc (ELF - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 4.98% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

VIOO seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Index represents the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity market.

The ETF has lost about -1.59% so far this year and is up roughly 5.80% in the last one year (as of 02/27/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $81.22 and $100.75.

The ETF has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 22.02% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 605 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VIOO is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

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 $62.98 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $76.82 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.

Published in