Should WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Fund (EPS) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Fund (EPS), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 02/23/2007.

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $423.09 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.70%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 20.10% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 4.24% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM).

The top 10 holdings account for about 22.69% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

EPS seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Earnings 500 Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. Earnings 500 Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. Stock Market.

The ETF return is roughly 0.27% so far this year and is up about 31.13% in the last one year (as of 01/07/2020). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $28.93 and $36.97.

The ETF has a beta of 1.05 and standard deviation of 12.80% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 498 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Fund carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, EPS is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $42.42 B in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $55.45 B. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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. LargeCap Fund (EPS): ETF Research Reports
 
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports
 
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD): ETF Research Reports
 
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