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Should iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Looking for broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market? You should consider the iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 06/28/2004.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $547.56 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

With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.

Qualities of growth stocks include faster growth rates compared to the broader market, as well as higher valuations and higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. Compared to value stocks, growth stocks are a safer bet in a strong bull market, but don't perform as strongly in almost all other financial environments.

Costs

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.06%, making it the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.70%.

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 Industrials sector--about 22.90% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (SRPT - Free Report) accounts for about 0.57% of total assets, followed by Kinsale Capital Group Inc (KNSL - Free Report) and Advanced Drainage Systems Inc (WMS - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 5.02% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

ISCG seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US SML CP BRD GRWTH EXTD ID before fees and expenses. The Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index comprises of small-capitalization U.S. equities that exhibit growth characteristics.

The ETF has added about 3.84% so far this year and is up about 23.42% in the last one year (as of 03/26/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $35.43 and $46.14.

The ETF has a beta of 1.07 and standard deviation of 23.96% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1014 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, ISCG 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 $11.41 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $17.07 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they 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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