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Is iShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF (PABU) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The iShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF (PABU - Free Report) was launched on 04/08/2022, 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?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

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.

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.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

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

Managed by Blackrock, PABU has amassed assets over $1.51 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA CLMT PARIS ALGN BNC EXT SLCT ID.

The MSCI USA Climate Paris Aligned Benchmark Extended Select Index composed of U.S. large & mid-capitalization stocks designed to be compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement by following a decarbonization trajectory, reducing exposure to climate-related transition & physical risks & increasing exposure to companies favourably positioned for the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Cost & Other Expenses

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.10% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.08%.

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.

Representing 32.90% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 8.68% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA - Free Report) .

PABU's top 10 holdings account for about 36.03% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -1.99% and was up about 27.37% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 01/04/2024), respectively. PABU has traded between $40.62 and $52.93 during this last 52-week period.

PABU has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 20.69% for the trailing three-year period. With about 273 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ - Free Report) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU - Free Report) tracks MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $8.33 billion in assets, iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has $13.17 billion. JEPQ has an expense ratio of 0.35% and ESGU charges 0.15%.

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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