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Should iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Launched on 06/28/2004, the iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $361.86 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Growth
Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.
While growth stocks do boast higher than average sales and earnings growth rates, and they are expected to grow faster than the wider market, investors should note these kinds of stocks have higher valuations. Additionally, growth stocks have a greater level of risk associated with them. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.
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 0.06%, making it the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.95%.
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 21.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Lattice Semiconductor Corp (LSCC - Free Report) accounts for about 0.75% of total assets, followed by Penumbra Inc (PEN - Free Report) and Royal Gold Inc (RGLD - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.23% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
ISCG seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US SML CP BRD GRWTH EXTD ID before fees and expenses. The Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index comprises of small-capitalization U.S. equities that exhibit growth characteristics.
The ETF has added about 8.18% so far this year and it's up approximately 7.75% in the last one year (as of 05/19/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $33.74 and $42.49.
The ETF has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 25.58% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1126 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth 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, ISCG is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO - Free Report) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $9.44 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $13.28 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VBK charges 0.07%.
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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Should iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on 06/28/2004, the iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $361.86 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Growth
Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.
While growth stocks do boast higher than average sales and earnings growth rates, and they are expected to grow faster than the wider market, investors should note these kinds of stocks have higher valuations. Additionally, growth stocks have a greater level of risk associated with them. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.
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 0.06%, making it the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.95%.
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 21.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Lattice Semiconductor Corp (LSCC - Free Report) accounts for about 0.75% of total assets, followed by Penumbra Inc (PEN - Free Report) and Royal Gold Inc (RGLD - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.23% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
ISCG seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US SML CP BRD GRWTH EXTD ID before fees and expenses. The Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index comprises of small-capitalization U.S. equities that exhibit growth characteristics.
The ETF has added about 8.18% so far this year and it's up approximately 7.75% in the last one year (as of 05/19/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $33.74 and $42.49.
The ETF has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 25.58% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1126 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth 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, ISCG is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO - Free Report) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $9.44 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $13.28 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VBK charges 0.07%.
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.