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Is WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF (EPS) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF (EPS - Free Report) was launched on 02/23/2007, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.

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.

On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.

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.

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

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $688.08 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Earnings 500 Index before fees and expenses.

The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.

Cost & Other Expenses

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 cousins, other things remaining the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.08% for EPS, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.84%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

For EPS, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 24.10% of the portfolio --while Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Alphabet Inc-Cl A (GOOGL - Free Report) accounts for about 6.08% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Meta Platformsinc. Cl A .

The top 10 holdings account for about 32.33% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF has added about 12.57% so far, and it's up approximately 14.07% over the last 12 months (as of 11/08/2023). EPS has traded between $40.69 and $48.62 in this past 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 16.79% for the trailing three-year period, which makes EPS a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 506 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $48.12 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $97.03 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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 - Large 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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