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Should Xtrackers Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor ETF (DEUS) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Launched on 11/24/2015, the Xtrackers Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor ETF (DEUS - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Deutsche Bank. It has amassed assets over $216.84 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. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.

Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.

Costs

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.17%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.54%.

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.

Looking at individual holdings, Target Corp (TGT - Free Report) accounts for about 0.90% of total assets, followed by Autozone Inc (AZO - Free Report) and Darden Restaurants (DRI.N).

The top 10 holdings account for about 6.77% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

DEUS seeks to match the performance of the Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index before fees and expenses. The Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index provides exposure to domestic equities based on five factors Quality, Value, Momentum, Low Volatility and Size.

The ETF has gained about 16.63% so far this year and is up about 7.50% in the last one year (as of 05/02/2019). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $27.13 and $34.12.

The ETF has a beta of 0.99 and standard deviation of 11.41% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 828 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Xtrackers Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor 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, DEUS is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend 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 $177.66 B in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $276.38 B. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.

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.

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