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Is iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (EUSA) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (EUSA - Free Report) was launched on 05/05/2010, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

EUSA is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $540.06 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index.

The MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index represents the MSCI USA Index, measures the performance of equity securities in the top 85% by market capitalization of equity securities listed on stock exchanges in the United States.

Cost & Other Expenses

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 EUSA are 0.09%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

EUSA's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.61%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer 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 in the Information Technology sector - about 16.20% of the portfolio. Industrials and Financials round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Rivian Automotive Inc Class A (RIVN - Free Report) accounts for about 0.28% of the fund's total assets, followed by Roku Inc Class A (ROKU - Free Report) and Carnival Corp (CCL - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 2.27% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF has added roughly 9.68% so far, and was up about 8.51% over the last 12 months (as of 09/01/2023). EUSA has traded between $66.79 and $82.03 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 18.70% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 633 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT - Free Report) tracks S&P Total Market Index and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI - Free Report) tracks CRSP US Total Market Index. IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF has $45.63 billion in assets, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has $317.47 billion. ITOT has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VTI charges 0.03%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Blend.

Bottom Line

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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