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Should Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Launched on 11/03/2009, the Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $36.78 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Blend

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.

Costs

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.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.03%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.39%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 28.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) accounts for about 6.83% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Amazon Com Inc (AMZN - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 29.37% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

SCHX seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index before fees and expenses. The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market measures all U.S. equity securities with readily available prices. The index includes approximately the largest 750 stocks and is float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted.

The ETF has lost about -0.18% so far this year and is up about 21.15% in the last one year (as of 01/17/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $45.54 and $56.60.

The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 17.85% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 756 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, SCHX is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $402.13 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $482.03 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.

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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