We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Should Invesco Defensive Equity ETF (DEF) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Read MoreHide Full Article
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Invesco Defensive Equity ETF , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/15/2006.
The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $247.02 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
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.
Qualities of growth stocks include faster growth rates compared to the broader market, as well as higher valuations and higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. Further, growth stocks have a higher level of volatility associated with them. When you consider growth versus value, growth stocks are usually the clear winner in strong bull markets but tend to fall flat in nearly all other environments.
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 0.55%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.22%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Healthcare sector--about 22.70% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT - Free Report) accounts for about 1.37% of total assets, followed by Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM - Free Report) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 12.64% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
DEF seeks to match the performance of the Guggenheim Defensive Equity Index before fees and expenses. The Invesco Defensive Equity Index is designed to provide exposure to securities of large-cap US issuers.
The ETF has lost about -11.90% so far this year and is down about -1.93% in the last one year (as of 06/30/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $60.64 and $73.11.
The ETF has a beta of 0.86 and standard deviation of 22.15% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 103 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Invesco Defensive Equity 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, DEF is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG - Free Report) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $67.31 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $155.22 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Should Invesco Defensive Equity ETF (DEF) Be on Your Investing Radar?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Invesco Defensive Equity ETF , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/15/2006.
The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $247.02 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
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.
Qualities of growth stocks include faster growth rates compared to the broader market, as well as higher valuations and higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. Further, growth stocks have a higher level of volatility associated with them. When you consider growth versus value, growth stocks are usually the clear winner in strong bull markets but tend to fall flat in nearly all other environments.
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 0.55%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.22%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Healthcare sector--about 22.70% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT - Free Report) accounts for about 1.37% of total assets, followed by Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM - Free Report) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 12.64% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
DEF seeks to match the performance of the Guggenheim Defensive Equity Index before fees and expenses. The Invesco Defensive Equity Index is designed to provide exposure to securities of large-cap US issuers.
The ETF has lost about -11.90% so far this year and is down about -1.93% in the last one year (as of 06/30/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $60.64 and $73.11.
The ETF has a beta of 0.86 and standard deviation of 22.15% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 103 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Invesco Defensive Equity 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, DEF is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG - Free Report) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $67.31 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $155.22 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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.