Is State Street SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Viewpoint - The State Street SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE) is a smart beta ETF that provides broad exposure to the financial sector, specifically regional banks, and has amassed significant assets since its inception [1][5]. Fund Overview - KRE debuted on June 19, 2006, and is managed by State Street Investment Management [1][5]. - The ETF has accumulated over $3.44 billion in assets, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Financials category [5]. - KRE aims to match the performance of the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index, which represents the regional banks segment of the S&P Total Market Index [5]. Cost and Performance - The annual operating expense ratio for KRE is 0.35%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options in its category [6]. - The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.48% [6]. - Year-to-date, KRE has increased by approximately 7.46%, but it has decreased by about -3.64% over the past year [10]. - The ETF has traded between $48.81 and $66.71 in the last 52 weeks [10]. Holdings and Sector Exposure - KRE's portfolio is entirely allocated to the Financials sector, providing diversified exposure and minimizing single stock risk [7]. - Cadence Bank (CADE) constitutes about 2.16% of the fund's total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 20.25% of total assets under management [8]. Risk Profile - KRE has a beta of 0.96 and a standard deviation of 31.63% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a high-risk profile within its sector [10]. - The fund includes around 150 holdings, which helps to effectively diversify company-specific risk [10]. Alternatives - Other ETFs in the regional banking space include Invesco KBW Regional Banking ETF (KBWR) and iShares U.S. Regional Banks ETF (IAT), with KBWR having $51.44 million in assets and IAT having $543.71 million [12]. - Both alternatives have similar expense ratios, with KBWR at 0.35% and IAT at 0.38% [12].