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Should iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF (IWX) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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The iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF (IWX - Free Report) was launched on 09/22/2009, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $1.32 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

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.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

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 0.20%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.10%.

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 Healthcare sector--about 23% of the portfolio. Financials and Energy round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B (BRKB) accounts for about 4.26% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 20.61% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

IWX seeks to match the performance of the Russell Top 200 Value Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Top 200 Value Index is a style factor weighted index that measures the performance of the largest capitalization value sector of the U.S. equity market.

The ETF has lost about -9.46% so far this year and is down about -7.37% in the last one year (as of 11/03/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $57.71 and $71.56.

The ETF has a beta of 0.90 and standard deviation of 23.64% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 159 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IWX is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $52.34 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $99.57 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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.

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