The Mid Cap Blend style ranks seventh out of the twelve fund styles as detailed in our 3Q16 Style Ratings for ETFs and Mutual Funds report. Last quarter, the Mid Cap Blend style ranked fifth. It gets our Neutral rating, which is based on an aggregation of ratings of 20 ETFs and 392 mutual funds in the Mid Cap Blend style as of August 1, 2016. See a recap of our 2Q16 Style Ratings here.
Figures 1 and 2 show the five best and worst rated ETFs and mutual funds in the style. Not all Mid Cap Blend style ETFs and mutual funds are created the same. The number of holdings varies widely (from 13 to 3248). This variation creates drastically different investment implications and, therefore, ratings.
Investors seeking exposure to the Mid Cap Blend style should buy one of the Attractive-or-better rated ETFs or mutual funds from Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1: ETFs with the Best & Worst Ratings – Top 5
* Best ETFs exclude ETFs with TNAs less than $100 million for inadequate liquidity.
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Four ETFs are excluded from Figure 1 because their total net assets (TNA) are below $100 million and do not meet our liquidity minimums.
Figure 2: Mutual Funds with the Best & Worst Ratings – Top 5
* Best mutual funds exclude funds with TNAs less than $100 million for inadequate liquidity.
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Six mutual funds are excluded from Figure 2 because their total net assets (TNA) are below $100 million and do not meet our liquidity minimums.
ProShares S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats (NYSE:REGL) is the top-rated Mid Cap Blend ETF and Calvert Capital Accumulation Fund (CCPIX) is the top-rated Mid Cap Blend mutual fund. REGL earns an Attractive rating and CCPIX earns a Very Attractive rating.
Guggenheim Invest Raymond James SB-1 Equity (NYSE:RYJ) is the worst rated Mid Cap Blend ETF and Pacific Advisors Mid Cap Value Fund (PAMVX) is the worst rated Mid Cap Blend mutual fund. RYJ earns a Dangerous rating and PAMVX earns a Very Dangerous rating.
East West Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ:EWBC) (EWBC: $34/share) is one of our favorite stocks held by CCPIX and earns an Attractive rating. Since 2010, EWBC has grown after-tax profit (NOPAT) by an impressive 22% compounded annually. The company has improved its return on invested capital (ROIC) from 6% in 2010 to 14% over the last twelve months. Despite the improving fundamentals, EWBC is down 17% year-to-date, which leaves shares undervalued. At its current price of $34/share, EWBC has a price-to-economic book value (PEBV) ratio of 1.0. This ratio means the market expects EWBC’s NOPAT to never meaningfully grow from current levels. If EWBC can grow NOPAT by just 8% compounded annually for the next decade, the stock is worth $56/share today – a 65% upside.
Qiagen NV (NASDAQ:QGEN). (QGEN: $23/share) is one of our least favorite stocks held by Mid Cap Blend ETFs and mutual funds and earns a Very Dangerous rating. QGEN is on July’s Most Dangerous stocks list. Over the past decade, QGEN’s economic earnings have declined from $16 million in 2005 to -$118 million in 2015. The company’s ROIC has fallen from 12% in 2005 to a bottom-quintile 4% over the last twelve months. Despite the deteriorating fundamentals, QGEN is up over 70% over the last five years, which has left shares highly overvalued. To justify its current price of $23/share, QGEN must grow NOPAT by 13% compounded annually for the next 13 years. This expectation seems overly optimistic given QGEN’s decade of shareholder value destruction.
Figures 3 and 4 show the rating landscape of all Mid Cap Blend ETFs and mutual funds.
Figure 3: Separating the Best ETFs From the Worst Funds
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Figure 4: Separating the Best Mutual Funds From the Worst Funds
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Disclosure: David Trainer and Kyle Guske II receive no compensation to write about any specific stock, style, or theme.