The iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (EUSA) made its debut on 05/05/2010, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
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
EUSA is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $787.50 million, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. EUSA seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index represents the MSCI USA Index, measures the performance of equity securities in the top 85% by market capitalization of equity securities listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
Cost & Other Expenses
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.09% for EUSA, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.46%.
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.
For EUSA, it has heaviest allocation in the Industrials sector --about 15.70% of the portfolio --while Information Technology and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, First Solar Inc- (FSLR) accounts for about 0.22% of total assets, followed by Nvidia Corp- (NVDA) and Best Buy Co Inc- (BBY).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 2.03% of EUSA's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, EUSA return is roughly 6.93%, and was up about 11.47% in the last one year (as of 07/26/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $70.68 and $92.33.
EUSA has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 17.89% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 605 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) tracks S&P Total Market Index and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) tracks CRSP US Total Market Index. IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF has $57.58 billion in assets, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has $409.25 billion. ITOT has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VTI charges 0.03%.
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 Blend.
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 >>iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (EUSA): ETF Research Reports
First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): ETF Research Reports
iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT): ETF Research Reports
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