Is Inspire Small/Mid Cap ETF (ISMD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The Inspire Small/Mid Cap ETF (ISMD) debuted on February 28, 2017, and provides broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market [1] Fund Overview - The fund is sponsored by Inspire and has accumulated over $240.91 million in assets, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF in its segment [5] - ISMD aims to match the performance of the Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact Equal Weight Index, selecting securities from publicly traded small and mid-cap companies with an Inspire Impact Score of zero or higher [6] Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for ISMD are 0.57%, which is comparable to most peer products in the space, and it has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.17% [7] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF's largest allocation is in the Financials sector, comprising approximately 18.3% of the portfolio, followed by Industrials and Information Technology [8] - The top 10 holdings account for about 3.85% of total assets, with Bbh Sweep Vehicle (BBHETFMM) making up about 0.67% of the fund's total assets [9] Performance Metrics - As of January 8, 2026, ISMD has increased by roughly 3.27% and is up about 7.66% year-to-date, with a trading range between $29.72 and $40.28 over the past 52 weeks [11] - The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and a standard deviation of 19.86% for the trailing three-year period, effectively diversifying company-specific risk with around 498 holdings [11] Alternatives - The Inspire Small/Mid Cap ETF is a viable option for investors looking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Blend segment, but there are other ETFs available in the market [12] - Notable alternatives include Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU), which have significantly larger asset bases and lower expense ratios [13]