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Is WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF (EPS) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF (EPS - Free Report) debuted on 02/23/2007, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value 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.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.

This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is managed by Wisdomtree. EPS has been able to amass assets over $1.06 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. EPS, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Earnings 500 Index.

The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.

Cost & Other Expenses

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.08% for EPS, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.14%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector - about 24.40% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Alphabet Inc-Cl A (GOOGL - Free Report) accounts for about 5.74% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 36.79% of EPS's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF has lost about -0.36% so far, and was up about 12.24% over the last 12 months (as of 03/26/2025). EPS has traded between $52.92 and $64.16 in this past 52-week period.

EPS has a beta of 0.98 and standard deviation of 16% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 502 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $77.19 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $134.17 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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 - Large Cap Value.

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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