If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF (IMCB), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 06/28/2004.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $733.80 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Mid cap companies have market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. They usually have higher growth prospects than large cap companies and are less volatile than small cap companies. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
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 1.67%.
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 Industrials sector--about 18.30% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Nxp Semiconductors Nv (NXPI) accounts for about 0.64% of total assets, followed by Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH) and Transdigm Group Inc (TDG).
The top 10 holdings account for about 5.81% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
IMCB seeks to match the performance of the MORNINGSTAR US MID CAP INDEX before fees and expenses. The Morningstar US Mid Cap Index comprises of mid-capitalization U.S. equities.
The ETF has added about 5.46% so far this year and it's up approximately 2.78% in the last one year (as of 11/15/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $56.23 and $65.55.
The ETF has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 18.86% for the trailing three-year period. With about 477 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Morningstar Mid-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, IMCB is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.