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Should First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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The First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS - Free Report) was launched on 07/06/2006, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $2.22 B, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
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.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.60%, making it one of the more expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.19%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 21.90% of the portfolio. Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Unitedhealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) accounts for about 2.19% of total assets, followed by Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK - Free Report) and Fleetcor Technologies, Inc. .
The top 10 holdings account for about 21.28% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTCS seeks to match the performance of the The Capital Strength Index before fees and expenses. The Capital Strength Index is an equal-dollar weighted index which provides exposure to well-capitalized companies with strong market positions based on strong balance sheets, high degree of liquidity, ability to generate earnings growth & record financial strength & profit growth.
The ETF has gained about 12.91% so far this year and it's up approximately 7.71% in the last one year (as of 05/16/2019). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $45.20 and $55.87.
The ETF has a beta of 0.91 and standard deviation of 12.08% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 50 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Capital Strength 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, FTCS is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $173.87 B in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $261.88 B. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they 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.
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Should First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
The First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS - Free Report) was launched on 07/06/2006, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $2.22 B, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
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.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.60%, making it one of the more expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.19%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 21.90% of the portfolio. Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Unitedhealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) accounts for about 2.19% of total assets, followed by Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK - Free Report) and Fleetcor Technologies, Inc. .
The top 10 holdings account for about 21.28% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTCS seeks to match the performance of the The Capital Strength Index before fees and expenses. The Capital Strength Index is an equal-dollar weighted index which provides exposure to well-capitalized companies with strong market positions based on strong balance sheets, high degree of liquidity, ability to generate earnings growth & record financial strength & profit growth.
The ETF has gained about 12.91% so far this year and it's up approximately 7.71% in the last one year (as of 05/16/2019). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $45.20 and $55.87.
The ETF has a beta of 0.91 and standard deviation of 12.08% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 50 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Capital Strength 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, FTCS is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $173.87 B in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $261.88 B. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they 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.