The SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY) made its debut on 04/11/2019, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth 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.
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.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
SFY is managed by Sofi, and this fund has amassed over $594.59 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Growth. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the SOLACTIVE SOFI US 500 GROWTH INDEX .
The Solactive SoFi US 500 Growth Index follows a rules-based methodology that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest U.S.-listed companies weighted based on a proprietary mix of their market capitalization and fundamental factors.
Cost & Other Expenses
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 cousins, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for SFY are 0%, which makes it the least expensive product in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.40%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
SFY's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 27.90% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Discretionary and Financials round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Amazon Com Inc (AMZN) accounts for about 6.47% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 29.56% of SFY's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the SoFi Select 500 ETF has added about 0% so far, and was up about 29.25% over the last 12 months (as of 01/02/2024). SFY has traded between $13.16 and $17.08 in this past 52-week period.
SFY has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 18.79% for the trailing three-year period. With about 503 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SoFi Select 500 ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) tracks NASDAQ-100 Index. Vanguard Growth ETF has $103.63 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $229.46 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
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 - Large Cap Growth.
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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Get it free >>SoFi Select 500 ETF (SFY): 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
Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports
Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG): ETF Research Reports
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
