Launched on 07/24/2000, the iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (IJS) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $7.16 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Value

There's a lot of potential to investing in small cap companies, but with market capitalization below $2 billion, that high potential comes with even higher risk.

Value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios. They also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. While value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.18%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.79%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 21.90% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Comerica Inc (CMA) accounts for about 1.24% of total assets, followed by Bath And Body Works Inc (BBWI) and Robert Half (RHI).

The top 10 holdings account for about 9.4% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

IJS seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index measures the performance of the small capitalization value sector of the U.S. equity market.

The ETF has gained about 6.84% so far this year and was up about 6.84% in the last one year (as of 12/31/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $94.12 and $118.05.

The ETF has a beta of 1.16 and standard deviation of 21.94% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 504 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value 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, IJS is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR) track a similar index. While Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF has $15.13 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $30.68 billion. AVUV has an expense ratio of 0.25% and VBR charges 0.07%.

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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iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (IJS): ETF Research Reports

Comerica Incorporated (CMA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Robert Half Inc. (RHI) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR): ETF Research Reports

Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV): ETF Research Reports

Bath & Body Works, Inc. (BBWI) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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