Should WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on 02/23/2007, the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $647.79 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Value
Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.
While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.
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 0.38%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.09%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 26.90% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Navient Corp (NAVI) accounts for about 1.33% of total assets, followed by Odp Corp/the (ODP) and Big Lots Inc (BIG).
The top 10 holdings account for about 7.89% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
EES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Earnings Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Earnings Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the small-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.
The ETF has added roughly 30.17% so far this year and was up about 53.99% in the last one year (as of 10/18/2021). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $30.71 and $51.33.
The ETF has a beta of 1.39 and standard deviation of 31.58% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 693 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap 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, EES is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) and the Vanguard SmallCap Value ETF (VBR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $16.77 billion in assets, Vanguard SmallCap Value ETF has $25.65 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.07%.
Bottom-Line
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.
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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WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap ETF (EES): ETF Research Reports
The ODP Corporation (ODP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Navient Corporation (NAVI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Vanguard SmallCap Value ETF (VBR): ETF Research Reports
iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN): ETF Research Reports
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