Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/17/2001.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $12.59 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Value

Compared to large and small cap companies, mid cap businesses tend to have higher growth prospects and are less volatile, respectively, with market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. Thus they have a nice balance of growth potential and stability.

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. 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

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.23%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.96%.

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 Financials sector--about 17.20% of the portfolio. Industrials and Real Estate round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) accounts for about 0.79% of total assets, followed by Aflac Inc (AFL - Free Report) and Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI - Free Report) .

Performance and Risk

IWS seeks to match the performance of the Russell MidCap Value Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Midcap Value Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization value sector of the U.S. equity market.

The ETF has added roughly 0.54% so far this year and is down about -9.68% in the last one year (as of 04/11/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $96.05 and $121.64.

The ETF has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 21.51% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 704 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Russell Mid-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, IWS is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF (IJJ - Free Report) and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF has $7.28 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $15.66 billion. IJJ has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VOE charges 0.07%.

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.

Published in