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Is WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF (EZM) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Making its debut on 02/23/2007, smart beta exchange traded fund WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF (EZM - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $736.13 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, EZM seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Earnings Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the mid-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.
Cost & Other Expenses
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.38% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.44%.
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.
EZM's heaviest allocation is in the Industrials sector, which is about 21% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Discretionary and Financials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Builders Firstsource Inc (BLDR - Free Report) accounts for about 1.40% of the fund's total assets, followed by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (CLF - Free Report) and Avis Budget Group Inc (CAR - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.16% of EZM's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 7.27% so far this year and is up about 8.58% in the last one year (as of 09/20/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $43.88 and $55.78.
EZM has a beta of 1.23 and standard deviation of 22.20% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 582 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) tracks Russell MidCap Value Index and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Value Index. IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $12.47 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $15.66 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 0.07%.
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 - Mid Cap Value.
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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Is WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF (EZM) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Making its debut on 02/23/2007, smart beta exchange traded fund WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF (EZM - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $736.13 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, EZM seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Earnings Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the mid-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.
Cost & Other Expenses
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.38% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.44%.
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.
EZM's heaviest allocation is in the Industrials sector, which is about 21% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Discretionary and Financials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Builders Firstsource Inc (BLDR - Free Report) accounts for about 1.40% of the fund's total assets, followed by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (CLF - Free Report) and Avis Budget Group Inc (CAR - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.16% of EZM's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 7.27% so far this year and is up about 8.58% in the last one year (as of 09/20/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $43.88 and $55.78.
EZM has a beta of 1.23 and standard deviation of 22.20% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 582 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. MidCap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) tracks Russell MidCap Value Index and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Value Index. IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $12.47 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $15.66 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 0.07%.
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 - Mid Cap Value.
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.