Should IQ Chaikin U.S. Small Cap ETF (CSML) Be On Your Investing Radar?

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the IQ Chaikin U.S. Small Cap ETF (CSML), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/16/2017.

The fund is sponsored by Indexiq. It has amassed assets over $451.75 M, 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

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 0.35%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.78%.

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 Industrials sector--about 28.20% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Renewable Energy Group Inc (REGI) accounts for about 1.15% of total assets, followed by Unisys Corp (UIS) and Fossil Group Inc (NASDAQ:FOSL).

The top 10 holdings account for about 8.1% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

CSML seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ Chaikin Power US Small Cap Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ Chaikin Power US Small Cap Index is a rules-based, quantitative index designed to enhance the NASDAQ US 1500 Index, by selecting stocks with the highest Chaikin Power Gauge rating.

The ETF has lost about -10.74% so far this year and is down about -9.74% in the last one year (as of 10/29/2018). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $24.44 and $29.80.

The ETF has a beta of 0.71 and standard deviation of 14.73% for the trailing three-year period. With about 208 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IQ Chaikin U.S. 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, CSML is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Small Cap ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

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The iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) and the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $41.18 B in assets, iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $44.27 B. IJR has an expense ratio of 0.07% and IWM charges 0.19%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they 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 Investment Research

Written By: Zacks Investment Research