The State Street SPDR S&P Insurance ETF (KIE) made its debut on 11/08/2005, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Financials ETFs 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.Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work wel ...

Insurance stocks have finally cooled off. The iShares U.S. Insurance ETF ( IAK ) is flat since my May 2025 analysis , underperforming the S&P 500 by some 16 percentage points. I’m sticking with aFreelance Financial Writer | Investments | Markets | Personal Finance | RetirementI create written content used in various formats including articles, blogs, emails, and social media for financial advisors and investment firms in a cost-efficient way. My passion is putting a narrative to financial data. Working with ...

Core Viewpoint - The SPDR S&P Insurance ETF (KIE) is a passively managed fund that provides broad exposure to the Financials - Insurance segment, appealing to both retail and institutional investors due to its low costs and tax efficiency [1][2]. Group 1: Fund Overview - KIE was launched on November 8, 2005, and has accumulated assets exceeding $838.19 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in its category [3]. - The fund aims to replicate the performance of the S&P Insurance Select Industry Index, which represents the insurance segment of the S&P Total Market Index [3]. Group 2: Cost Structure - KIE has annual operating expenses of 0.35%, making it one of the least expensive ETFs in the insurance sector [4]. - The ETF offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.57% [4]. Group 3: Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF is fully allocated to the Financials sector, with approximately 100% of its portfolio dedicated to this area [5]. - Key holdings include Lemonade Inc (2.44% of total assets), Genworth Financial Inc, and Lincoln National Corp, with the top 10 holdings comprising about 21.73% of total assets [6]. Group 4: Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, KIE has returned approximately 4.95%, and over the last 12 months, it has increased by about 6.42% as of September 1, 2025 [7]. - The ETF has traded between $53.63 and $62.03 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 0.74 and a standard deviation of 17.88% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [7]. Group 5: Alternatives - KIE holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a viable option for investors seeking exposure to the Financials ETFs sector [8]. - Other alternatives include Invesco KBW Property & Casualty Insurance ETF (KBWP) and iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK), with assets of $477.61 million and $717.29 million respectively, and expense ratios of 0.35% and 0.39% [9].

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 Invesco KBW Property & Casualty Insurance ETF (KBWP) provides broad exposure to the Financials - Insurance segment and is passively managed, launched on December 2, 2010 [1] - The ETF has gained popularity among retail and institutional investors due to its low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency, making it suitable for long-term investment [1] Fund Overview - Sponsored by Invesco, KBWP has assets exceeding $456.27 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in the Financials - Insurance segment [3] - The fund aims to match the performance of the KBW Nasdaq Property & Casualty Index, which includes approximately 24 property and casualty insurance companies [4] Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for KBWP are 0.35%, categorizing it as one of the least expensive options in its category [5] - The ETF has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.84% [5] Sector Exposure and Holdings - KBWP is fully allocated to the Financials sector, with about 100% of its portfolio dedicated to this area [6] - American International Group Inc (AIG) constitutes approximately 8.15% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings making up about 59.91% of total assets under management [7] Performance Metrics - The ETF has returned roughly 1.2% year-to-date and increased by about 10.73% over the past year, with a trading range between $104.61 and $126.65 in the last 52 weeks [8] - It has a beta of 0.57 and a standard deviation of 18.57% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [8] Alternatives - KBWP holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum [9] - Other ETFs in the space include iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) and SPDR S&P Insurance ETF (KIE), with assets of $731.29 million and $844.93 million respectively [10]

Core Insights - The iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) offers broad exposure to the Financials - Insurance segment, appealing to both retail and institutional investors due to its low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency [1][2] Fund Overview - IAK is a passively managed ETF launched on May 1, 2006, with assets exceeding $779.12 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in its category [3] - The fund aims to replicate the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Insurance Index, which includes companies providing specialized financial services [4] Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for IAK are 0.39%, which is competitive within its peer group, and it has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.85% [5] Sector Exposure and Holdings - IAK is fully allocated to the Financials sector, with Progressive Corp (PGR) making up approximately 16.98% of total assets, followed by Chubb Ltd (CB) and Travelers Companies Inc (TRV) [6] - The top 10 holdings constitute about 66.91% of total assets under management [7] Performance Metrics - As of July 14, 2025, IAK has gained approximately 2.35% year-to-date and 13.53% over the past year, with a trading range between $115.29 and $138.47 in the last 52 weeks [8] - The ETF has a beta of 0.66 and a standard deviation of 18.05% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [8] Alternatives - IAK holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a viable option for investors seeking exposure to the Financials ETFs sector [9] - Other alternatives include Invesco KBW Property & Casualty Insurance ETF (KBWP) and SPDR S&P Insurance ETF (KIE), with respective assets of $471.58 million and $827.52 million [10]