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Should ALPS (OUSA) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the ALPS (OUSA - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/14/2015.

The fund is sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $820.06 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Considering long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets; however, they are more likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.

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 0.48%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.44%.

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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 22.30% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Home Depot Inc. (HD - Free Report) accounts for about 5.29% of total assets, followed by Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 43.69% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

OUSA seeks to match the performance of the FTSE US Qual / Vol / Yield Factor 5% Capped Index before fees and expenses. The OShares U.S. Quality Dividend Index measures the performance of publicly-listed large-capitalization and mid-capitalization dividend-paying issuers in the United States.

The ETF return is roughly 21.72% so far this year and is up about 27.28% in the last one year (as of 11/28/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $44.08 and $55.37.

The ETF has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 13.94% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

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

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $67.50 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $133.97 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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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