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Should Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (VIOV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (VIOV - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/09/2010.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $1.31 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Value

With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.

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. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth 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 0.15%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.78%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Consumer Discretionary sector--about 20% of the portfolio. Financials and Industrials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Meritage Homes Corp. (MTH - Free Report) accounts for about 0.99% of total assets, followed by Insight Enterprises Inc. (NSIT - Free Report) and Radian Group Inc. (RDN - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 8.22% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

VIOV seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index represents the value companies of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.

The ETF has added roughly 8.42% so far this year and is up about 1.55% in the last one year (as of 08/11/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $71.39 and $92.09.

The ETF has a beta of 1.19 and standard deviation of 23.55% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 455 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 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, VIOV is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $11.58 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $25.76 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VBR 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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