Should You Invest in the Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH)?
Looking for broad exposure to the Financials - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particular sectors that offer low risk and diversified exposure. Financials - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 16, placing it in bottom 0%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $7.53 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Financials - Broad segment of the equity market. VFH seeks to match the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Financials 25/50 Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Financials 25/50 measures the investment return of stocks in the financial sector.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.10%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.53%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Jpmorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) accounts for about 8.91% of total assets, followed by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) and Bank Of America Corp. (BAC).
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -6.90% and is down about -5.23% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 05/25/2023), respectively. VFH has traded between $74.44 and $90.64 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 23.80% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 376 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Financials ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VFH is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Financials ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
IShares U.S. Financials ETF (IYF) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index and the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) tracks Financial Select Sector Index. IShares U.S. Financials ETF has $1.71 billion in assets, Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF has $28.51 billion. IYF has an expense ratio of 0.39% and XLF charges 0.10%.
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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Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH): ETF Research Reports
Bank of America Corporation (BAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF): ETF Research Reports
iShares U.S. Financials ETF (IYF): ETF Research Reports
