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Is iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Making its debut on 04/28/2015, smart beta exchange traded fund iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs 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.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Blackrock, ISCF has amassed assets over $535.40 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI World exUSA Small Cap Diversified Multiple-Factor Index.
The STOXX International Small-Cap Equity Factor Index composes of global developed market small-capitalization stocks, excluding the US, that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints.
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 0.23% for this ETF, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.
ISCF's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.04%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Logitech International Sa (LOGN - Free Report) accounts for about 0.73% of the fund's total assets, followed by Be Semiconductor Industries Nv (BESI) and Vat Group Ag (VACN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.55% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -2.55% so far this year and is up roughly 2.34% in the last one year (as of 01/25/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $27.69 and $32.33.
The fund has a beta of 0.97 and standard deviation of 17.19% for the trailing three-year period, which makes ISCF a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 1026 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $62.09 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $120.66 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.07% and VEA charges 0.05%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Developed World ETFs.
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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Is iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Making its debut on 04/28/2015, smart beta exchange traded fund iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs 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.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Blackrock, ISCF has amassed assets over $535.40 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI World exUSA Small Cap Diversified Multiple-Factor Index.
The STOXX International Small-Cap Equity Factor Index composes of global developed market small-capitalization stocks, excluding the US, that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints.
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 0.23% for this ETF, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.
ISCF's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.04%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Logitech International Sa (LOGN - Free Report) accounts for about 0.73% of the fund's total assets, followed by Be Semiconductor Industries Nv (BESI) and Vat Group Ag (VACN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.55% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -2.55% so far this year and is up roughly 2.34% in the last one year (as of 01/25/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $27.69 and $32.33.
The fund has a beta of 0.97 and standard deviation of 17.19% for the trailing three-year period, which makes ISCF a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 1026 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $62.09 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $120.66 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.07% and VEA charges 0.05%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Developed World ETFs.
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.