We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Is Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD - Free Report) debuted on 02/23/2016, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
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.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Because the fund has amassed over $745.76 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. JSMD is managed by Janus Henderson. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Janus Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha Index before fees and expenses.
The Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha Index selects small- and medium-sized capitalization stocks that are poised for smart growth by evaluating each company performance in three critical areas: growth, profitability, and capital efficiency.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.30%.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 0.86%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
JSMD's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 22.9% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Financials round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Medpace Holdings Inc. (MEDP) accounts for about 3.08% of the fund's total assets, followed by Sanmina Corporation (SANM) and Bwx Technologies Inc. (BWXT).
JSMD's top 10 holdings account for about 23.52% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 11.46% so far this year and is up about 3.23% in the last one year (as of 12/01/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $62.52 and $86.87
The fund has a beta of 1.12 and standard deviation of 20.22% for the trailing three-year period. With about 108 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) tracks Russell 2000 Growth Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index. iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $13.09 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $20.78 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK changes 0.07%.
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 - Small Cap Growth
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.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Is Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD - Free Report) debuted on 02/23/2016, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
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.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Because the fund has amassed over $745.76 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. JSMD is managed by Janus Henderson. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Janus Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha Index before fees and expenses.
The Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha Index selects small- and medium-sized capitalization stocks that are poised for smart growth by evaluating each company performance in three critical areas: growth, profitability, and capital efficiency.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.30%.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 0.86%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
JSMD's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 22.9% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Financials round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Medpace Holdings Inc. (MEDP) accounts for about 3.08% of the fund's total assets, followed by Sanmina Corporation (SANM) and Bwx Technologies Inc. (BWXT).
JSMD's top 10 holdings account for about 23.52% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 11.46% so far this year and is up about 3.23% in the last one year (as of 12/01/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $62.52 and $86.87
The fund has a beta of 1.12 and standard deviation of 20.22% for the trailing three-year period. With about 108 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) tracks Russell 2000 Growth Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index. iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $13.09 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $20.78 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK changes 0.07%.
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 - Small Cap Growth
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.