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Should Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $43.64 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
Sitting at a market capitalization below $2 billion, small cap companies tend to be high-potential stocks compared to its large and mid cap counterparts, but come with higher risk.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
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 0.05%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.76%.
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 Industrials sector--about 21.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Slcmt1142 accounts for about 1.71% of total assets, followed by Mktliq and Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 4.98% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VB seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Small Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Small Cap Index includes U.S. companies that fall between the bottom 2%-15% of the investable market capitalization. There is no lower limit in market capitalization. The index includes securities traded on NYSE, NYSE Market, NASDAQ or ARCA.
The ETF has added about 4.47% so far this year and was up about 8.56% in the last one year (as of 10/18/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $174.63 and $208.76.
The ETF has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 21.78% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1441 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Small-Cap 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, VB is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $50.14 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $65.98 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also 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 Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB) Be on Your Investing Radar?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $43.64 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
Sitting at a market capitalization below $2 billion, small cap companies tend to be high-potential stocks compared to its large and mid cap counterparts, but come with higher risk.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
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 0.05%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.76%.
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 Industrials sector--about 21.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Slcmt1142 accounts for about 1.71% of total assets, followed by Mktliq and Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 4.98% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VB seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Small Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Small Cap Index includes U.S. companies that fall between the bottom 2%-15% of the investable market capitalization. There is no lower limit in market capitalization. The index includes securities traded on NYSE, NYSE Market, NASDAQ or ARCA.
The ETF has added about 4.47% so far this year and was up about 8.56% in the last one year (as of 10/18/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $174.63 and $208.76.
The ETF has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 21.78% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1441 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Small-Cap 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, VB is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $50.14 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $65.98 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also 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.