Should You Invest in the Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW)?
The Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW) was launched on 01/26/2004, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Materials - Broad segment of the equity market.
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. Materials - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 14, placing it in bottom 13%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $3.10 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Materials - Broad segment of the equity market. VAW seeks to match the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Materials 25/50 Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI US Investable Market Materials 25/50 Index includes stocks of U.S. companies within the materials sector.
Costs
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.
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 1.79%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Materials sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Linde Plc (LIN) accounts for about 13.96% of total assets, followed by Air Products And Chemicals Inc. (APD) and Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW).
The top 10 holdings account for about 46.22% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Vanguard Materials ETF has added roughly 10.35% so far, and was up about 3.66% over the last 12 months (as of 03/06/2023). VAW has traded between $147.73 and $199.49 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.12 and standard deviation of 28.78% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 115 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Materials ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, VAW is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Materials ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) tracks Materials Select Sector Index and the FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR) tracks Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Index. Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF has $6.09 billion in assets, FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF has $7.73 billion. XLB has an expense ratio of 0.10% and GUNR charges 0.46%.
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 Materials ETF (VAW): ETF Research Reports
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB): ETF Research Reports
New Linde PLC (LIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR): ETF Research Reports
