Yahoo Finance Is iShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF (PABU) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 04/08/2022, the iShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF (PABU) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend 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.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: 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.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $1.11 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. PABU, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA CLMT PARIS ALGN BNC EXT SLCT ID.
The MSCI USA Climate Paris Aligned Benchmark Extended Select Index composed of U.S. large & mid-capitalization stocks designed to be compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement by following a decarbonization trajectory, reducing exposure to climate-related transition & physical risks & increasing exposure to companies favourably positioned for the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.10% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.20%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector - about 30.50% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 8.64% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Amazon Com Inc (AMZN).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 30.65% of PABU's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 9.67% so far this year and was up about 0% in the last one year (as of 04/25/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $38.63 and $47.91.
With about 309 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) tracks MSCI EAFE ESG Focus Index and the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) tracks MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. IShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF has $7.43 billion in assets, iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has $13.92 billion. ESGD has an expense ratio of 0.20% and ESGU charges 0.15%.
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 - All Cap Blend.
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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iShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF (PABU): ETF Research Reports
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD): ETF Research Reports
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU): ETF Research Reports
