Yahoo Finance Should Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC) Be on Your Investing Radar?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/17/2007.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $5.85 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.92%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, 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 30.70% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) accounts for about 8.47% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 37.88% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
MGC seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Mega Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Index includes the largest U.S. companies, with a target of including the top 70% of investable market capitalization. The index includes securities traded on NYSE, NYSE Market, NASDAQ or ARCA.
The ETF has added roughly 17.67% so far this year and it's up approximately 31.51% in the last one year (as of 06/27/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $146.46 and $198.62.
The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 17.41% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 215 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Mega Cap 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, MGC is a sufficient 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) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $488.26 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $531.48 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
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 Mega Cap ETF (MGC): ETF Research Reports
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports
