Launched on 06/28/2004, the iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (ISCB) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $236.98 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Blend

With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.

Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.

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 0.04%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.26%.

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 18.40% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Sofi Technologies Inc (SOFI) accounts for about 0.33% of total assets, followed by Tapestry Inc (TPR) and Affirm Holdings Inc Class A (AFRM).

The top 10 holdings account for about 2.68% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

ISCB seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US SMALL CAP EXTENDED INDEX before fees and expenses. The Morningstar US Small Cap Extended Index comprises of small-capitalization U.S. equities.

The ETF return is roughly 3.57% so far this year and is up about 15.94% in the last one year (as of 02/17/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $51.49 and $64.30.

The ETF has a beta of 1.18 and standard deviation of 21.60% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1621 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Morningstar Small-Cap 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, ISCB is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

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 $73.40 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $88.44 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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 Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (ISCB): ETF Research Reports

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): ETF Research Reports

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR): ETF Research Reports

Tapestry, Inc. (TPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report

SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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