Launched on 06/19/2006, the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Energy ETFs category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating ...

The iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV) was launched on 07/24/2000, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient ...

Core Insights - The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) is a smart beta ETF that provides broad exposure to the Health Care ETFs category, having debuted on February 5, 2001 [1] - Smart beta ETFs are designed to outperform traditional market cap weighted indexes by focusing on specific fundamental characteristics [3][4] - IBB is managed by Blackrock and has over $5.63 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Health Care sector [5] Fund Details - IBB aims to match the performance of the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, which includes securities of NASDAQ listed biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies [5] - The fund has an annual operating expense of 0.45% and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.28% [6] - The fund's portfolio is entirely allocated to the Healthcare sector, with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX) being the largest holding at approximately 7.96% of total assets [7][8] Performance Metrics - As of August 18, 2025, IBB has returned approximately 5.05% year-to-date but is down about -4.01% over the past year [10] - The fund has traded between $112.02 and $149.47 in the last 52 weeks, with a beta of 0.75 and a standard deviation of 20.16% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a higher risk profile [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the biotechnology space include the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT) and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI), with assets of $1.08 billion and $5.09 billion respectively [12] - FBT has an expense ratio of 0.54% while XBI charges 0.35%, presenting lower-cost alternatives for investors [12]

The First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF (EDOW) was launched on 08/08/2017, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market effic ...

Core Viewpoint - The First Trust NASDAQ-100-Technology Sector ETF (QTEC) is a smart beta ETF designed to provide broad exposure to the technology sector, with a focus on outperforming traditional market cap weighted indexes [1][5]. Fund Overview - QTEC was launched on April 19, 2006, and is managed by First Trust Advisors, accumulating over $2.67 billion in assets, making it one of the larger ETFs in the technology sector [1][5]. - The fund aims to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index, which is an equal-weighted index based on technology securities from the NASDAQ-100 Index [5]. Cost Structure - QTEC has annual operating expenses of 0.55%, which is competitive within its peer group [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 86.6% of the portfolio, with Telecom and Consumer Discretionary as the next largest sectors [7]. - Datadog, Inc. (class A) (DDOG) is the largest holding at about 2.57% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 23.9% of total assets under management [8]. Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, QTEC has returned roughly 12.71%, and it is up approximately 19.06% over the last 12 months as of August 11, 2025 [10]. - The ETF has traded between $149.56 and $218.81 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.25 and a standard deviation of 28.20% over the trailing three-year period, indicating higher risk compared to peers [10]. Alternatives - Other ETFs in the technology sector include the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) and the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), which have significantly larger asset bases of $84.79 billion and $99.8 billion, respectively [12]. - XLK has a lower expense ratio of 0.08%, while VGT charges 0.09% [12].

Core Insights - The First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) launched on May 27, 2011, offers broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category, with a focus on cloud computing [1] - SKYY is managed by First Trust Advisors and aims to match the performance of the ISE Cloud Computing Index, which tracks companies in the cloud computing industry [5] Fund Characteristics - SKYY has accumulated over $3.45 billion in assets, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Technology sector [5] - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.60% and a trailing dividend yield of 0.00% [6] - The fund's portfolio is heavily weighted in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 84.4% of its assets [7] Holdings and Performance - Oracle Corporation (ORCL) is the largest holding at about 5.4%, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 40.42% of total assets [8] - As of August 6, 2025, SKYY has returned roughly 1.04% year-to-date and is up approximately 39.23% over the past year [10] - The ETF has a beta of 1.23 and a standard deviation of 28.45% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the cloud computing space include Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU) and WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF (WCLD), with assets of $311.28 million and $345.29 million respectively [12] - CLOU has an expense ratio of 0.68% while WCLD has a lower expense ratio of 0.45% [12]

Core Insights - The iShares U.S. Equity Factor ETF (LRGF) is a smart beta ETF launched on April 28, 2015, providing broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category [1] - LRGF is managed by Blackrock and has accumulated over $2.69 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in its category [5] - The fund aims to match the performance of the MSCI USA Diversified Multiple-Factor Index, focusing on U.S. large and mid-cap stocks with favorable exposure to target style factors [5] Fund Characteristics - LRGF has an annual operating expense of 0.08%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options in the ETF space [6] - The fund's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.18% [6] - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising about 34.5% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Consumer Discretionary [7] Holdings and Performance - Nvidia Corp (NVDA) is the largest holding, accounting for approximately 6.85% of total assets, with Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Apple Inc (AAPL) also among the top holdings [8] - The top 10 holdings represent about 32.73% of LRGF's total assets under management [8] - As of August 5, 2025, LRGF has returned roughly 9.13% year-to-date and approximately 21.66% over the past year, with a trading range between $51.37 and $66.01 in the last 52 weeks [10] Risk Profile - LRGF has a beta of 0.96 and a standard deviation of 17.10% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10] - The fund consists of about 289 holdings, effectively diversifying company-specific risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include Fidelity High Dividend ETF (FDVV) and iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF (IUSV), with FDVV having $6.17 billion in assets and IUSV at $21 billion [12] - FDVV has an expense ratio of 0.16%, while IUSV has a lower expense ratio of 0.04% [12]

Core Insights - The SPDR S&P Insurance ETF (KIE) debuted on November 8, 2005, providing broad exposure to the Financials ETFs category [1] - KIE is managed by State Street Investment Management and aims to match the performance of the S&P Insurance Select Industry Index [5] Fund Characteristics - KIE has accumulated over $849.53 million in assets, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF in the Financials sector [5] - The fund has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.35%, making it one of the least expensive options in its category [6] - The 12-month trailing dividend yield for KIE is 1.65% [6] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF's portfolio is entirely allocated to the Financials sector, with Genworth Financial Inc (GNW) making up approximately 2.03% of total assets [7][8] - The top 10 holdings constitute about 19.98% of total assets under management [8] Performance Metrics - As of July 31, 2025, KIE has increased by approximately 0.21% year-to-date and 5.11% over the past year [9] - The ETF has traded within a range of $51.62 to $62.03 over the last 52 weeks [9] - KIE has a beta of 0.75 and a standard deviation of 18.03% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10] Alternatives in the Market - Other ETFs in the Financials sector include Invesco KBW Property & Casualty Insurance ETF (KBWP) and iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK), with assets of $455.35 million and $723.93 million respectively [12] - KBWP has an expense ratio of 0.35%, while IAK charges 0.39% [12]

Core Insights - The SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF (QEFA) is a smart beta ETF launched on June 4, 2014, designed to provide broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs category [1] - The fund is managed by State Street Global Advisors and has accumulated over $918.29 million in assets, making it an average-sized ETF in its category [5] - The ETF aims to match the performance of the MSCI EAFE Factor Mix A-Series Index, which includes large and mid-cap stocks from 22 developed markets focusing on value, low volatility, and quality factors [6] Fund Characteristics - The expense ratio for QEFA is 0.30%, positioning it as one of the cheaper options in the ETF space, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.99% [7] - The ETF has a beta of 0.74 and a standard deviation of 14.62% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10] Performance Metrics - As of July 30, 2025, QEFA has returned approximately 18.94% and increased by about 14.77% year-to-date [9] - The ETF has traded between $71.47 and $86.96 over the past 52 weeks [9] Holdings and Sector Exposure - The top holdings include Novartis Ag Reg (1.96% of total assets), ASML Holding Nv, and Nestle Sa Reg, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 14.92% of total assets [8] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) with $64.24 billion in assets and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) with $143.92 billion, offering different expense ratios and risk profiles [12]

Core Insights - The SPDR S&P Capital Markets ETF (KCE) is a smart beta ETF launched on November 8, 2005, designed to provide broad exposure to the Financials ETFs category [1] Fund Overview - KCE is managed by State Street Global Advisors and has accumulated over $548.24 million in assets, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF in the Financials sector [5] - The fund aims to match the performance of the S&P Capital Markets Select Industry Index, which represents the capital markets segment of the S&P Total Market Index [5] Cost Structure - KCE has annual operating expenses of 0.35%, making it one of the least expensive options in its category [6] - The fund offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.46% [6] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF is fully allocated to the Financials sector, with Coinbase Global Inc Class A (COIN) making up approximately 2.4% of total assets, followed by Robinhood Markets Inc A (HOOD) and Carlyle Group Inc (CG) [7][8] - The top 10 holdings constitute about 19.08% of total assets under management [8] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, KCE has gained approximately 13.18%, and it has increased by about 29.93% over the last 12 months as of July 29, 2025 [9] - The ETF has traded between $108.52 and $155.52 in the past 52 weeks [9] - KCE has a beta of 1.23 and a standard deviation of 22.51% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a higher risk profile [10] Alternatives - For investors seeking to outperform the Financials ETFs segment, alternatives such as the iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI) are available, which tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Investment Services Index and has $1.45 billion in assets with an expense ratio of 0.40% [11]