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Should You Invest in the Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (FUTY)?

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The Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (FUTY - Free Report) was launched on 10/21/2013, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market.

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.

Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particular sectors that offer low risk and diversified exposure. Utilities - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 8, placing it in top 50%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by Fidelity. It has amassed assets over $501.33 M, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market. FUTY seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA IMI Utilities Index before fees and expenses.

MSCI USA IMI Utilities Index represents the performance of the utilities sector in the U.S. equity market.

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 0.08%, making it the least expensive product in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.36%.

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 99.70% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Nextera Energy Inc (NEE - Free Report) accounts for about 9.67% of total assets, followed by Duke Energy Corp (DUK - Free Report) and Dominion Energy Inc (D - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 50.51% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 5.09% so far this year and is up about 5.89% in the last one year (as of 12/24/2018). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $31.11 and $37.49.

The ETF has a beta of 0.18 and standard deviation of 13.25% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 71 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index 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, FUTY 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.

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU - Free Report) tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. Vanguard Utilities ETF has $3.22 B in assets, Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund has $8.23 B. VPU has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLU charges 0.13%.

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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