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Is Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF (FNDB) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Launched on 08/13/2013, the Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF (FNDB - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $286.57 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Value. FNDB, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI US Index.
The Russell RAFI US Index measures the performance of the constituent companies by fundamental overall company scores.
Cost & Other Expenses
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.25% for FNDB, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.18%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer 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.
Representing 16.80% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Financials and Industrials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc Common Stock Usd.00001 (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 4.32% of the fund's total assets, followed by Exxon Mobil Corp Common Stock (XOM - Free Report) and At+t Inc Common Stock Usd1.0 (T - Free Report) .
FNDB's top 10 holdings account for about 18.32% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, FNDB has added roughly 19.04%, and is up about 6.62% in the last one year (as of 10/16/2019). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $31.73 and $39.77.
The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 12.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1622 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF (PEY - Free Report) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers 50 Index and the iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV - Free Report) tracks S&P 900 Value Index. Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF has $877.09 M in assets, iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF has $6.09 B. PEY has an expense ratio of 0.53% and IUSV charges 0.04%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Value.
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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Is Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF (FNDB) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 08/13/2013, the Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF (FNDB - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $286.57 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Value. FNDB, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI US Index.
The Russell RAFI US Index measures the performance of the constituent companies by fundamental overall company scores.
Cost & Other Expenses
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.25% for FNDB, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.18%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer 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.
Representing 16.80% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Financials and Industrials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc Common Stock Usd.00001 (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 4.32% of the fund's total assets, followed by Exxon Mobil Corp Common Stock (XOM - Free Report) and At+t Inc Common Stock Usd1.0 (T - Free Report) .
FNDB's top 10 holdings account for about 18.32% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, FNDB has added roughly 19.04%, and is up about 6.62% in the last one year (as of 10/16/2019). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $31.73 and $39.77.
The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 12.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1622 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF (PEY - Free Report) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers 50 Index and the iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV - Free Report) tracks S&P 900 Value Index. Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF has $877.09 M in assets, iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF has $6.09 B. PEY has an expense ratio of 0.53% and IUSV charges 0.04%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Value.
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.