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Should VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) 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 VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 04/24/2012.
The fund is sponsored by Van Eck. It has amassed assets over $7.36 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies 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 0.46%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.10%.
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 Information Technology sector--about 27.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Kellogg Co (K - Free Report) accounts for about 2.92% of total assets, followed by Veeva Systems Inc (VEEV - Free Report) and Polaris Inc (PII - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.83% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
MOAT seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index before fees and expenses. The Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index tracks the overall performance of the 20 most attractively priced companies with sustainable competitive advantages.
The ETF has gained about 13.80% so far this year and it's up approximately 1.81% in the last one year (as of 02/07/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $58.77 and $76.48.
The ETF has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 26.16% 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
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat 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, MOAT is a good 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 $309.67 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $385.44 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
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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Should VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 04/24/2012.
The fund is sponsored by Van Eck. It has amassed assets over $7.36 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies 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 0.46%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.10%.
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 Information Technology sector--about 27.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Kellogg Co (K - Free Report) accounts for about 2.92% of total assets, followed by Veeva Systems Inc (VEEV - Free Report) and Polaris Inc (PII - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.83% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
MOAT seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index before fees and expenses. The Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index tracks the overall performance of the 20 most attractively priced companies with sustainable competitive advantages.
The ETF has gained about 13.80% so far this year and it's up approximately 1.81% in the last one year (as of 02/07/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $58.77 and $76.48.
The ETF has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 26.16% 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
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat 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, MOAT is a good 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 $309.67 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $385.44 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
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.