Is iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 12/01/2016, the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Growth 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.
Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.
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
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $20.04 billion, making it the largest ETF in the Style Box - All Cap Growth. ESGU seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Focus Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI USA Extended ESG Focus Index comprises of U.S. companies that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those of the parent index.
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 0.15%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.49%.
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 Information Technology sector - about 28% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 5.85% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Amazon Com Inc (AMZN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 21.26% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added roughly 6.48% so far this year and is down about -9.69% in the last one year (as of 02/01/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $79.22 and $103.63.
The fund has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 25.77% for the trailing three-year period. With about 313 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) tracks FTSE US ALL CAP CHOICE INDEX and the iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) tracks MSCI EAFE ESG Focus Index. Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF has $6.11 billion in assets, iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF has $7.23 billion. ESGV has an expense ratio of 0.09% and ESGD charges 0.20%.
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 Growth.
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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iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU): ETF Research Reports
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD): ETF Research Reports
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV): ETF Research Reports
