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Should SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF (SPYV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF (SPYV - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/25/2000.

The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.38 B, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.

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 0.04%, making it the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.35%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 24.70% of the portfolio. Energy and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B (BRK.B - Free Report) accounts for about 3.53% of total assets, followed by Jpmorgan Chase & Co. (JPM - Free Report) and Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 22.77% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

SPYV seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Value Index before fees and expenses. The S&P 500 Value Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization value sector in the U.S. equity market.

The ETF has lost about -1.19% so far this year and was up about 10.93% in the last one year (as of 05/23/2018). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $28.05 and $32.54.

The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 12.99% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 390 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value 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, SPYV is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Large Cap ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $36.74 B in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $36.40 B. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.20% and VTV charges 0.05%.

Bottom-Line

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.

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.