Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

A smart beta exchange traded fund, the SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY - Free Report) debuted on 04/11/2019, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

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.

The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Sofi, SFY has amassed assets over $555.11 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Growth. SFY seeks to match the performance of the SOLACTIVE SOFI US 500 GROWTH INDEX before fees and expenses.

The Solactive SoFi US 500 Growth Index follows a rules-based methodology that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest U.S.-listed companies weighted based on a proprietary mix of their market capitalization and fundamental factors.

Cost & Other Expenses

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.05% for SFY, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 0.50%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector - about 42.9% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Nvidia Corp (NVDA) accounts for about 13.6% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Broadcom Inc (AVGO).

SFY's top 10 holdings account for about 42.59% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added roughly 21.85% so far this year and is up about 18.77% in the last one year (as of 12/02/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $90.76 and $135.12

The fund has a beta of 1.07 and standard deviation of 17.44% for the trailing three-year period. With about 505 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

SoFi Select 500 ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) tracks NASDAQ-100 Index. Vanguard Growth ETF has $200.85 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $403.88 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ changes 0.20%.

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 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:


SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY) - free report >>

Published in