Should Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 11/03/2009.
The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $14.31 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Blend
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.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.04%, making it the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.50%.
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 to the Industrials sector--about 18.20% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Ssc Government Mm Gvmxx (GVMXX) accounts for about 0.43% of total assets, followed by Lattice Semiconductor Corp (LSCC) and Performance Food Group (PFGC).
The top 10 holdings account for about 2.89% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
SCHA seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index before fees and expenses. The Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index includes the small-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index actually available to investors in the marketplace.
The ETF has added about 2.48% so far this year and is up about 2.32% in the last one year (as of 05/19/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $37.65 and $46.36.
The ETF has a beta of 1.17 and standard deviation of 24.15% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1763 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, SCHA is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $48.03 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $64.66 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.
Bottom-Line
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.
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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Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA): ETF Research Reports
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (LSCC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): ETF Research Reports
Performance Food Group Company (PFGC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR): ETF Research Reports