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Should First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/06/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $6.78 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Companies that find themselves in the large cap category 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.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
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.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.58%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.94%.
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 Healthcare sector--about 23.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Garmin Ltd. (GRMN - Free Report) accounts for about 2.33% of total assets, followed by Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (class A) (BIO - Free Report) and Alphabet Inc. (class A) (GOOGL - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 21.69% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTCS seeks to match the performance of the The Capital Strength Index before fees and expenses. The Capital Strength Index is an equal-dollar weighted index which provides exposure to well-capitalized companies with strong market positions based on strong balance sheets, high degree of liquidity, ability to generate earnings growth & record financial strength & profit growth.
The ETF has added about 10.71% so far this year and is up about 13.06% in the last one year (as of 12/11/2020). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $43.11 and $67.01.
The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 21.50% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Capital Strength 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, FTCS 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 $237.14 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $320.66 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% 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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Should First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/06/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $6.78 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Companies that find themselves in the large cap category 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.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
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.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.58%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.94%.
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 Healthcare sector--about 23.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Garmin Ltd. (GRMN - Free Report) accounts for about 2.33% of total assets, followed by Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (class A) (BIO - Free Report) and Alphabet Inc. (class A) (GOOGL - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 21.69% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTCS seeks to match the performance of the The Capital Strength Index before fees and expenses. The Capital Strength Index is an equal-dollar weighted index which provides exposure to well-capitalized companies with strong market positions based on strong balance sheets, high degree of liquidity, ability to generate earnings growth & record financial strength & profit growth.
The ETF has added about 10.71% so far this year and is up about 13.06% in the last one year (as of 12/11/2020). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $43.11 and $67.01.
The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 21.50% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Capital Strength 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, FTCS 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 $237.14 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $320.66 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% 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.