Should Vanguard S&P SmallCap 600 ETF (VIOO) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for VIOO
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the Vanguard S&P SmallCap 600 ETF (VIOO) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/09/2010.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $1.99 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
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 counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.10%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.83%.
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 Financials sector--about 18.80% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Macy's Inc. (M) accounts for about 0.68% of total assets, followed by Chart Industries Inc. (GTLS) and Omnicell Inc. (OMCL).
The top 10 holdings account for about 3.68% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VIOO seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Index represents the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added roughly 32.66% so far this year and is up about 47.56% in the last one year (as of 11/16/2021). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $153.91 and $222.02.
The ETF has a beta of 1.20 and standard deviation of 29.56% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 605 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard S&P SmallCap 600 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VIOO is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and the iShares Core S&P SmallCap ETF (IJR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $74.89 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P SmallCap ETF has $76.43 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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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Vanguard S&P SmallCap 600 ETF (VIOO): ETF Research Reports
Macy's, Inc. (M): Free Stock Analysis Report
Omnicell, Inc. (OMCL): Free Stock Analysis Report
Chart Industries, Inc. (GTLS): Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): ETF Research Reports
iShares Core S&P SmallCap ETF (IJR): ETF Research Reports
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