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Should VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Launched on 04/24/2012, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Van Eck. It has amassed assets over $9.12 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. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
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 0.46%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.03%.
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 Information Technology sector--about 28% 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 return is roughly 21.57% so far this year and is up about 26.86% in the last one year (as of 06/14/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $58.77 and $78.91.
The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 19.79% 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 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, MOAT is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
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 $323.97 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $414.10 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
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 VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on 04/24/2012, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Van Eck. It has amassed assets over $9.12 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. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
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 0.46%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.03%.
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 Information Technology sector--about 28% 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 return is roughly 21.57% so far this year and is up about 26.86% in the last one year (as of 06/14/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $58.77 and $78.91.
The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 19.79% 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 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, MOAT is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
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 $323.97 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $414.10 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
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.