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Should John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF (JHML) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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The John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF (JHML - Free Report) was launched on 09/28/2015, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by John Hancock. It has amassed assets over $392.17 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Blend

Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.

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 0.35%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.44%.

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 to the Information Technology sector--about 21.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

The top 10 holdings account for about 11.04% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

JHML seeks to match the performance of the John Hancock Dimensional Large Cap Index before fees and expenses. The John Hancock Dimensional Large Cap Index comprises of a subset of securities in the U.S. Universe issued by companies whose market capitalizations are larger than that of the 801st largest U.S. company.

The ETF has gained about 0.20% so far this year and was up about 14.82% in the last one year (as of 04/21/2018). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $30.75 and $37.14.

The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 12.21% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 790 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap 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, JHML is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Large Cap ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $141.63 B in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $255.92 B. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.

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.