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Is WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor ETF (USMF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market, the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor ETF (USMF - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 06/29/2017.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
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.
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
Because the fund has amassed over $346.35 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. USMF is managed by Wisdomtree. USMF, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor Index is comprised of 200 U.S. companies with the highest composite scores based on two fundamental factors, value and quality measures, and two technical factors, momentum and correlation.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.28% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.24%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector - about 31.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Verisign Inc (VRSN - Free Report) accounts for about 1.53% of the fund's total assets, followed by International Business Machines Corp (IBM - Free Report) and Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 13.46% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor ETF has gained about 19.65% so far, and is up roughly 30.36% over the last 12 months (as of 10/21/2024). USMF has traded between $36.99 and $49.87 in this past 52-week period.
USMF has a beta of 0.89 and standard deviation of 14.59% for the trailing three-year period. With about 202 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor 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 - Free Report) tracks S&P Total Market Index and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI - Free Report) tracks CRSP US Total Market Index. IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF has $63.12 billion in assets, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has $448.83 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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Is WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor ETF (USMF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market, the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor ETF (USMF - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 06/29/2017.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
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.
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
Because the fund has amassed over $346.35 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. USMF is managed by Wisdomtree. USMF, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor Index is comprised of 200 U.S. companies with the highest composite scores based on two fundamental factors, value and quality measures, and two technical factors, momentum and correlation.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.28% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.24%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector - about 31.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Verisign Inc (VRSN - Free Report) accounts for about 1.53% of the fund's total assets, followed by International Business Machines Corp (IBM - Free Report) and Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 13.46% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor ETF has gained about 19.65% so far, and is up roughly 30.36% over the last 12 months (as of 10/21/2024). USMF has traded between $36.99 and $49.87 in this past 52-week period.
USMF has a beta of 0.89 and standard deviation of 14.59% for the trailing three-year period. With about 202 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor 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 - Free Report) tracks S&P Total Market Index and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI - Free Report) tracks CRSP US Total Market Index. IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF has $63.12 billion in assets, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has $448.83 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.