Back to top

Image: Bigstock

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

Read MoreHide Full Article

Looking for broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market? You should consider the Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF (VIOG - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/09/2010.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $551.41 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Growth

There's a lot of potential to investing in small cap companies, but with market capitalization below $2 billion, that high potential comes with even higher risk.

While growth stocks do boast higher than average sales and earnings growth rates, and they are expected to grow faster than the wider market, investors should note these kinds of stocks have higher valuations. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. When you consider growth versus value, growth stocks are usually the clear winner in strong bull markets but tend to fall flat in nearly all other environments.

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 1.31%.

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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 18.80% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Financials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Rambus Inc. (RMBS - Free Report) accounts for about 1.30% of total assets, followed by Sps Commerce Inc. (SPSC - Free Report) and Axcelis Technologies Inc. (ACLS - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 11.22% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

VIOG seeks to match the performance of the S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index represents the growth companies of the S&P Small-Cap 600 Index.

The ETF has added roughly 3.26% so far this year and is down about -1.61% in the last one year (as of 11/17/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $88.58 and $104.07.

The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 22.49% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 349 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

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

The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO - Free Report) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $9.58 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $13.28 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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.

Published in