If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Index Fund ETF Shares (IVOO Quick QuoteIVOO - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on September 9, 2010.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $3.54 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Blend

Compared to large and small cap companies, mid cap businesses tend to have higher growth prospects and are less volatile, respectively, with market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. Thus they have a nice balance of growth potential and stability.

Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.

Costs

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.07%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.21%.

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 to the Industrials sector -- about 26% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Technipfmc Plc (FTI) accounts for about 0.87% of total assets, followed by Casey's General Stores Inc (CASY) and United Therapeutics Corp (UTHR).

The top 10 holdings account for about 6.04% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

IVOO seeks to match the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P MidCap 400 Index measures the performance of the mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index composed of 400 domestic common stocks.

The ETF has added roughly 12.34% so far this year and was up about 26.94% in the last one year (as of 05/11/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $100.87 and $126.31.

The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 17.81% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 406 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Index Fund ETF Shares holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IVOO is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) track a similar index. While Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares has $99.61 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $117.45 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.03% and IJH charges 0.05%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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.