Advertisement
Canada markets open in 2 hours 44 minutes
  • S&P/TSX

    22,107.08
    +194.56 (+0.89%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,248.49
    +44.91 (+0.86%)
     
  • DOW

    39,760.08
    +477.75 (+1.22%)
     
  • CAD/USD

    0.7356
    -0.0016 (-0.22%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    82.09
    +0.74 (+0.91%)
     
  • Bitcoin CAD

    95,927.74
    +689.90 (+0.72%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,228.10
    +15.40 (+0.70%)
     
  • RUSSELL 2000

    2,114.35
    +44.19 (+2.13%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.1960
    0.0000 (0.00%)
     
  • NASDAQ futures

    18,497.50
    -6.25 (-0.03%)
     
  • VOLATILITY

    12.95
    +0.17 (+1.33%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,959.63
    +27.65 (+0.35%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     
  • CAD/EUR

    0.6812
    +0.0007 (+0.10%)
     

Should Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF (EQAL) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF (EQAL) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/23/2014.

The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $577.81 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. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

ADVERTISEMENT

Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.

Costs

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.39%.

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 Industrials sector--about 13.10% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Conagra Brands Inc (CAG) accounts for about 0.29% of total assets, followed by Seaboard Corp (SEB) and Jm Smucker Co/the (SJM).

The top 10 holdings account for about 2.6% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

EQAL seeks to match the performance of the Russell 1000 Equal Weight Index before fees and expenses. The Russell 1000 Equal Weight Index is composed of securities in the Russell 1000 Index and is equally weighted across nine sector groups with each security within the sector receiving equal weight.

The ETF return is roughly 17.94% so far this year and is up about 8.54% in the last one year (as of 04/11/2019). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $26.31 and $33.62.

The ETF has a beta of 1.07 and standard deviation of 12.55% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 965 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight 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, EQAL is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

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 $174.74 B in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $272.27 B. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.

Bottom-Line

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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.


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF (EQAL): ETF Research Reports
 
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports
 
The J. M. Smucker Company (SJM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Conagra Brands Inc. (CAG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.