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

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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?

The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

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.

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

Because the fund has amassed over $556.07 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Growth. SFY is managed by Sofi. This particular fund 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

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.05% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

SFY's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 0.97%.

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 Information Technology sector - about 41.8% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Nvidia Corp (NVDA) accounts for about 13.68% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Broadcom Inc (AVGO).

The top 10 holdings account for about 42.74% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -1.12% and was up about 18.85% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 02/05/2026), respectively. SFY has traded between $90.76 and $135.31 during this last 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 17.09% for the trailing three-year period. With about 506 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 $195.51 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $402.61 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.03% 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.

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