Is WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF (WCLD) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 09/06/2019, the WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF (WCLD) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
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.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
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.
While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Wisdomtree, and has been able to amass over $655.02 million, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Technology ETFs. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the BVP NASDAQ EMERGING CLOUD INDEX before fees and expenses.
The BVP Nasdaq Emerging Cloud Index is an equally weighted Index, designed to measure the performance of emerging public companies focused on delivering cloud-based software to customers.
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 this ETF are 0.45%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
For WCLD, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 86.10% of the portfolio --while Financials and Telecom round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Sentinelone Inc -Class A (S) accounts for about 2.35% of the fund's total assets, followed by Elastic Nv (ESTC) and Crowdstrike Holdings Inc - A (CRWD).
The top 10 holdings account for about 19.75% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -1.77% and is up about 34.36% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 01/22/2024), respectively. WCLD has traded between $25.40 and $35.58 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 41.24% for the trailing three-year period. With about 70 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU) tracks INDXX GLOBAL CLOUD COMPUTING INDEX and the First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) tracks ISE Cloud Computing Index. Global X Cloud Computing ETF has $633.36 million in assets, First Trust Cloud Computing ETF has $2.98 billion. CLOU has an expense ratio of 0.68% and SKYY charges 0.60%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Technology ETFs.
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.
WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF (WCLD): ETF Research Reports
SentinelOne, Inc. (S) : Free Stock Analysis Report
First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY): ETF Research Reports
Elastic N.V. (ESTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU): ETF Research Reports
CrowdStrike (CRWD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
