Should Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/09/2010.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $473.29 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
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 0.03%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.27%.
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 Information Technology sector--about 27.90% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) accounts for about 7.16% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.06% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VOO seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P 500 Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added about 15.52% so far this year and is up roughly 28.02% in the last one year (as of 06/27/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $377.32 and $504.28.
The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 17.12% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 506 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) track the same index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $488.26 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $531.48 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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Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): ETF Research Reports
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports
