A smart beta exchange traded fund, the JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (JPME) debuted on 05/11/2016, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other 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
Managed by J.P. Morgan, JPME has amassed assets over $230.22 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend. JPME, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Russell Midcap Diversified Factor Index.
The Russell Midcap Diversified Factor Index comprises of mid cap US equity securities selected from the Russell Midcap Index. The Index is diversified across the following sectors: financials, technology, consumer services, health care, industrials, consumer goods, energy/ materials and telecommunication/utilities.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for JPME are 0.24%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
JPME's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.30%.
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.
JPME's heaviest allocation is in the Healthcare sector, which is about 14% of the portfolio. Its Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Devon Energy Corp Common (DVN) accounts for about 0.76% of the fund's total assets, followed by Olin Corp Common Stock (NYSE:OLN) and Discovery Inc Common (NASDAQ:DISCA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.26% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 20.17% and it's up approximately 47.86% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 07/05/2021), respectively. JPME has traded between $59.62 and $89.41 during this last 52-week period.
JPME has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 23.28% for the trailing three-year period. With about 395 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard MidCap ETF (VO) tracks CRSP US Mid Cap Index and the iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF (IJH) tracks S&P MidCap 400 Index. Vanguard MidCap ETF has $49.82 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF has $63.57 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%.
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 - Mid Cap Blend.
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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JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (JPME): ETF Research Reports
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Discovery, Inc. (DISCA): Free Stock Analysis Report
Olin Corporation (OLN): Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Core S&P MidCap ETF (IJH): ETF Research Reports
Vanguard MidCap ETF (VO): ETF Research Reports
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