Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should You Invest in the iShares U.S. Energy ETF (IYE)?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Looking for broad exposure to the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the iShares U.S. Energy ETF (IYE - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on June 12, 2000.

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.

Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particular sectors that offer low risk and diversified exposure. Energy - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 12, placing it in bottom 25%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $1.12 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market. IYE seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Index before fees and expenses.

The Russell 1000 Energy RIC 22.5/45 Capped Gross Index measures the performance of the energy sector of the U.S. equity market.

Costs

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.38%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.86%.

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 in the Energy sector -- about 98.1% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) accounts for about 22.76% of total assets, followed by Chevron Corp (CVX) and Conocophillips (COP).

The top 10 holdings account for about 68.38% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added about 6.85% so far this year and is up about 8.93% in the last one year (as of 12/24/2025). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $40.36 and $49.95.

The ETF has a beta of 0.62 and standard deviation of 21.45% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 43 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

iShares U.S. Energy ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, IYE is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Energy ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Energy 25/50 Index and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) tracks Energy Select Sector Index. Vanguard Energy ETF has $7.01 billion in assets, State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF has $26.34 billion. VDE has an expense ratio of 0.09%, and XLE charges 0.08%.

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:


iShares U.S. Energy ETF (IYE) - free report >>

Published in