Yahoo Finance Should You Invest in the iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU)?
Launched on 06/12/2000, the iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market.
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Utilities - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 3, placing it in top 19%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $944.82 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market. IDU seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Utilities Index before fees and expenses.
The Russell 1000 Utilities RIC 22.5/45 Capped Index measures the performance of the utilities sector of the U.S. equity market. It includes companies in the following sectors: electricity and gas, water and multi-utilities.
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 0.39%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.60%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector--about 89.40% of the portfolio, followed by Industrials.
Looking at individual holdings, Nextera Energy Inc (NEE) accounts for about 13.31% of total assets, followed by Southern (SO) and Duke Energy Corp (DUK).
The top 10 holdings account for about 54.19% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -6.47% and is down about -9.01% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 06/01/2023), respectively. IDU has traded between $76.38 and $95.89 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.53 and standard deviation of 17.84% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 48 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
IShares U.S. Utilities 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, IDU is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. Vanguard Utilities ETF has $5.10 billion in assets, Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF has $15.34 billion. VPU has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLU charges 0.10%.
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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iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU): ETF Research Reports
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Southern Company (The) (SO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU): ETF Research Reports
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU): ETF Research Reports
