Smart Beta ETFs Don’t Have to Be Complex to Do Their Job | ETF Trends

…”Smart beta is a subset of passive indices that depart from the standard market capitalization weighting methodology to achieve a particular objective, like generating excess returns, mitigating volatility or improving diversification. Nevertheless, smart beta, like traditional beta indexing, are constructed according to a consistent set of rules and are transparent.”…

Read the full article at ETF Trends right here: Smart Beta ETFs Don’t Have to Be Complex to Do Their Job | ETF Trends

An Adventurous Idea for Small-Cap Investors

At a time when the U.S. small-cap stocks and exchange traded funds, such as the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEArca: IJR) and the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEArca: IWM), are trailing large-cap funds by wide margins, considering small-cap growth stocks may seem to be a risky proposition.

To be sure, the iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF (NASDAQ: IJT) has managed only a modest year-to-date return. The $4.2 billion IJT tracks the S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index. Value stocks typically trade at cheaper prices relative to fundamental measures of value, such as earnings and the book value of assets. In contrast, growth stocks tend to run at higher valuations since investors expect the rapid growth in those company measures.

Read the full article at ETF Trends right here: An Adventurous Idea for Small-Cap Investors