Should First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/06/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $6.17 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies 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.
Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.58%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.98%.
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 Healthcare sector--about 24% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL) accounts for about 2.61% of total assets, followed by Target Corporation (TGT) and Adobe Incorporated (ADBE).
The top 10 holdings account for about 22.56% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTCS seeks to match the performance of the The Capital Strength Index before fees and expenses. The Capital Strength Index is an equal-dollar weighted index which provides exposure to well-capitalized companies with strong market positions based on strong balance sheets, high degree of liquidity, ability to generate earnings growth & record financial strength & profit growth.
The ETF return is roughly 6.66% so far this year and is up about 14.87% in the last one year (as of 10/06/2020). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $43.11 and $66.41.
The ETF has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 21.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Capital Strength 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, FTCS is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Core SP 500 ETF (IVV) and the SPDR SP 500 ETF (SPY) track a similar index. While iShares Core SP 500 ETF has $217.20 billion in assets, SPDR SP 500 ETF has $297.91 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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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First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS): ETF Research Reports
Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Adobe Systems Incorporated (ADBE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
SPDR SP 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports
iShares Core SP 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports
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