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Is Invesco S&P SmallCap Quality ETF (XSHQ) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Making its debut on 04/06/2017, smart beta exchange traded fund Invesco S&P SmallCap Quality ETF (XSHQ - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend 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.

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

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

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.

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 Invesco, and has been able to amass over $251.1 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Blend. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the SmallCap 600 Quality Index.

The S&P SmallCap 600 Quality Index is composed of 120 securities in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index that have the highest quality score, which is calculated based on the average of three fundamental measures: return on equity, accruals ratio and financial leverage ratio.

Cost & Other Expenses

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.29% for XSHQ, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.39%.

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.

Representing 23.3% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Industrials and Information Technology round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Interdigital Inc (IDCC) accounts for about 3.58% of the fund's total assets, followed by Brinker International Inc (EAT) and Armstrong World Industries Inc (AWI).

The top 10 holdings account for about 21.22% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Invesco S&P SmallCap Quality ETF has gained about 8.07% so far, and is up roughly 27.11% over the last 12 months (as of 04/20/2026). XSHQ has traded between $35.42 $45.33 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.94 and standard deviation of 19.97% for the trailing three-year period. With about 122 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

Invesco S&P SmallCap Quality ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) tracks Russell 2000 Index and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Index. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $77.2 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $100.71 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR changes 0.06%.

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 Blend

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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