Is Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD) debuted on 02/23/2016, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth category of the market.
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.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
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.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Janus Henderson, JSMD has amassed assets over $266.99 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Janus Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha Index before fees and expenses.
The Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha Index selects small- and medium-sized capitalization stocks that are poised for smart growth by evaluating each company performance in three critical areas: growth, profitability, and capital efficiency.
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.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.30%.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.41%.
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.
JSMD's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 27.40% of the portfolio. Its Healthcare and Industrials round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Shockwave Medical, Inc. (SWAV) accounts for about 4.11% of the fund's total assets, followed by Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) and Repligen Corporation (RGEN).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 25.78% of JSMD's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 21.12% so far this year and is up about 18.65% in the last one year (as of 09/04/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $48.53 and $65.14.
The fund has a beta of 1.18 and standard deviation of 23.44% for the trailing three-year period. With about 236 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
IShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) tracks Russell 2000 Growth Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index. IShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $9.92 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $14.41 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%.
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 - Small 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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Janus Henderson Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD): ETF Research Reports
Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Repligen Corporation (RGEN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO): ETF Research Reports
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK): ETF Research Reports
ShockWave Medical, Inc. (SWAV) : Free Stock Analysis Report
