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Should You Invest in the iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA)?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Utilities - Infrastructure segment of the equity market, look no further than the iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 04/03/2018.

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.

Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Utilities - Infrastructure is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 9, placing it in bottom 44%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $2.32 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Infrastructure segment of the equity market. IFRA seeks to match the performance of the NYSE FACTSET U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE INDEX before fees and expenses.

The NYSE FactSet U.S. Infrastructure Index comprises of equities of U.S. companies that have infrastructure exposure and that could benefit from a potential increase in domestic infrastructure activities.

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 0.30%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.92%.

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 in the Utilities sector--about 37.80% of the portfolio. Industrials and Materials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Vistra Corp (VST - Free Report) accounts for about 0.85% of total assets, followed by Worthington Enterprises Inc (WOR - Free Report) and Great Lakes Dredge And Dock Corp (GLDD - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 7.70% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added roughly 3.30% and was up about 15.62% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 03/13/2024), respectively. IFRA has traded between $34.58 and $41.86 during this last 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 18.58% for the trailing three-year period. With about 160 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares U.S. Infrastructure 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, IFRA is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

IShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF - Free Report) tracks S&P Global Infrastructure Index and the Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE - Free Report) tracks INDXX U.S. Infrastructure Development Index. IShares Global Infrastructure ETF has $3.55 billion in assets, Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF has $6.70 billion. IGF has an expense ratio of 0.41% and PAVE charges 0.47%.

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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