Should iShares Russell Top 200 ETF (IWL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the iShares Russell Top 200 ETF (IWL), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/22/2009.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $274.65 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts 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.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.98%.
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 to the Information Technology sector--about 24.90% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 5.69% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Amazon Com Inc (AMZN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 27.86% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IWL seeks to match the performance of the Russell Top 200 Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Top 200 Index is a float-adjusted, capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of the largest capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added about 29.64% so far this year and is up about 27.66% in the last one year (as of 12/19/2019). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $54.65 and $74.23.
The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 12.94% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 199 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Russell Top 200 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IWL is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $204.08 B in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $302.52 B. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
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 Russell Top 200 ETF (IWL): 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 Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports
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