Yahoo Finance Should Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF (VIOO) Be on Your Investing Radar?
The Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF (VIOO) was launched on 09/09/2010, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $2.18 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
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.10%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.51%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a 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 to the Industrials sector--about 18% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Agree Realty Corp. (ADC) accounts for about 0.60% of total assets, followed by Helmerich & Payne Inc. (HP) and Exponent Inc. (EXPO).
The top 10 holdings account for about 4% 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 lost about -0.17% so far this year and is down about -9.89% in the last one year (as of 04/06/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $80.61 and $98.74.
The ETF has a beta of 1.15 and standard deviation of 26.48% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 604 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 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 Small-Cap ETF (IJR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $48.33 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $64.95 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
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 Small-Cap 600 ETF (VIOO): ETF Research Reports
Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (HP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Exponent, Inc. (EXPO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): ETF Research Reports
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR): ETF Research Reports
