The iShares U.S. Equity Factor ETF (LRGF) was launched on 04/28/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
LRGF is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $1.35 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Value. LRGF, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Diversified Multiple-Factor Index.
The STOXX U.S. Equity Factor Index composes of U.S. large and mid-capitalization stocks that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints.
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.
Annual operating expenses for LRGF are 0.08%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.60%.
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.
LRGF's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 30.20% of the portfolio. Its Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 6.63% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Amazon Com Inc (AMZN).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 25.07% of LRGF's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added roughly 15.08% and was up about 19.45% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 07/03/2023), respectively. LRGF has traded between $36.22 and $44.56 during this last 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.98 and standard deviation of 18.24% for the trailing three-year period, which makes LRGF a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 315 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares U.S. Equity Factor ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Dimensional U.S. Targeted Value ETF (DFAT) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV) tracks S&P 900 Value Index. Dimensional U.S. Targeted Value ETF has $8.11 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF has $14.05 billion. DFAT has an expense ratio of 0.28% and IUSV charges 0.04%.
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 Value.
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 Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV): ETF Research Reports
Dimensional U.S. Targeted Value ETF (DFAT): ETF Research Reports
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