Is Invesco RAFI US 1500 Small-Mid ETF (PRFZ) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Viewpoint - The Invesco RAFI US 1500 Small-Mid ETF (PRFZ) is a smart beta ETF designed to provide broad exposure to the small-cap blend market segment, with a focus on outperforming traditional market cap weighted indexes [1][5]. Fund Overview - Launched on September 20, 2006, PRFZ has accumulated over $2.38 billion in assets, making it one of the larger ETFs in its category [1][5]. - The fund aims to match the performance of the FTSE RAFI US 1500 Small-Mid Index, which tracks small and medium-sized US companies based on fundamental measures such as book value, cash flow, sales, and dividends [5]. Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for PRFZ are 0.34%, which is competitive within its peer group [6]. - The ETF has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.23% [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - The Financials sector represents the largest allocation at 18.6%, followed by Industrials and Information Technology [7]. - Applovin Corp (APP) accounts for approximately 0.49% of the fund's total assets, with the top 10 holdings making up about 3.73% of total assets under management [8]. Performance Metrics - As of August 5, 2025, PRFZ has gained about 0.19% year-to-date and approximately 7.11% over the past year [10]. - The ETF has traded between $33.13 and $45.39 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.09 and a standard deviation of 21.35% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10]. Alternatives - Other ETFs in the small-cap blend space include Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), which have significantly larger asset bases and lower expense ratios of 0.05% and 0.06%, respectively [12].