Launched on 10/04/2022, the VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.

If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.

These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Van Eck. It has amassed assets over $440.44 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Blend. SMOT, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US SML-MID CAP MOAT FOCUS ID.

The Morningstar US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus Index tracks the overall performance of small and mid-cap companies with sustainable competitive advantages and attractive valuations.

Cost & Other Expenses

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.49% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.12%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer 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.

For SMOT, it has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Discretionary sector --about 22.40% of the portfolio --while Healthcare and Industrials round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Tapestry Inc (TPR) accounts for about 1.73% of the fund's total assets, followed by Lpl Financial Holdings Inc (LPLA) and Carnival Corp (CCL).

SMOT's top 10 holdings account for about 15.35% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added about 5.60% so far this year and is up about 16.22% in the last one year (as of 02/17/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $31.26 and $37.49.

SMOT has a beta of 1.30 and standard deviation of 17.32% for the trailing three-year period. With about 111 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) tracks S&P Total Market Index and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) tracks CRSP US Total Market Index. IShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF has $67.11 billion in assets, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has $479.92 billion. ITOT has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VTI charges 0.03%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Blend.

Bottom Line

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.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT): ETF Research Reports

Carnival Corporation (CCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): ETF Research Reports

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT): ETF Research Reports

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

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research