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Should Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF (MGV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF (MGV - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/17/2007.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $5.67 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

Large cap companies usually 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.

Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. While value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.

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 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.58%.

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 23.90% of the portfolio. Financials and Industrials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH - Free Report) accounts for about 3.53% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 26.65% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

MGV seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Value Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Value Index is a float-adjusted, market-capitalization-weighted index designed to measure equity market performance of mega-capitalization value stocks in the United States.

The ETF has lost about -4.96% so far this year and is down about -2.62% in the last one year (as of 03/14/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $89.91 and $109.21.

The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 20.70% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 144 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, MGV 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 $49 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $97.96 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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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