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Is Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company ETF (FNDX) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Making its debut on 08/13/2013, smart beta exchange traded fund Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company ETF (FNDX - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

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

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.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

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

The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $25.57 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. FNDX, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI US Large Co. Index.

The RAFI Fundamental High Liquidity US Large Index measures the performance of large U.S. companies based on their fundamental size and weight.

Cost & Other Expenses

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.25% for this ETF, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.

FNDX's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.45%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

For FNDX, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 22.1% of the portfolio --while Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

When you look at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 4.2% of the fund's total assets, followed by Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 20.48% of FNDX's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, FNDX has added roughly 14.52%, and is up roughly 31.97% in the last one year (as of 06/04/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $23.71 and $31.09.

The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 12.82% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 742 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $94.8 billion in assets, Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF Shares has $179.06 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV changes 0.03%.

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 Value

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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