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Should IQ Chaikin U.S. Small Cap ETF (CSML) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the IQ Chaikin U.S. Small Cap ETF (CSML - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/16/2017.

The fund is sponsored by New York Life Investments. It has amassed assets over $227.12 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Blend

Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.

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

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

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.41%.

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 to the Financials sector--about 28% of the portfolio. Industrials and Information Technology round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Dillards Inc-Cl A (DDS - Free Report) accounts for about 0.47% of total assets, followed by Idt Corp-Class B (IDT - Free Report) and A-Mark Precious Metals In (AMRK - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 3.89% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

CSML seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ Chaikin Power US Small Cap Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ Chaikin Power US Small Cap Index is a rules-based, quantitative index designed to enhance the NASDAQ US 1500 Index, by selecting stocks with the highest Chaikin Power Gauge rating.

The ETF return is roughly 26.52% so far this year and is up about 29.51% in the last one year (as of 12/07/2021). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $28.26 and $38.36.

The ETF has a beta of 1.31 and standard deviation of 30.88% for the trailing three-year period. With about 488 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IQ Chaikin U.S. Small 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, CSML is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P SmallCap ETF (IJR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $68.23 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P SmallCap ETF has $72.60 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.

Bottom-Line

Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds 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.

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