Finding the best ETFs is an increasingly difficult task in a world with so many to choose from. How can you pick with so many choices available?
Don’t Trust ETF Labels
There are at least 60 different All Cap Blend ETFs and at 267 ETFs across twelve styles. Do investors need 22+ choices on average per style? How different can the ETFs be?
Those 60 All Cap Blend ETFs are very different. With anywhere from 21 to 3603 holdings, many of these All Cap Blend ETFs have drastically different portfolios, creating drastically different investment implications.
The same is true for the ETFs in any other style, as each offers a very different mix of good and bad stocks. Large Cap Blend ETFs rank first for stock selection. Small Cap Growth ETFs rank last. Details on the Best & Worst ETFs in each style are here.
A Recipe for Paralysis by Analysis
We think the large number of All Cap Blend (or any other) style ETFs hurts investors more than it helps because too many options can be paralyzing. It is simply not possible for the majority of investors to properly assess the quality of so many ETFs. Analyzing ETFs, done with the proper diligence, is far more difficult than analyzing stocks because it means analyzing all the stocks within each ETF. As stated above, that can be as many as 3603 stocks, and sometimes even more, for one ETF.
Anyone focused on fulfilling the fiduciary duty of care recognizes that analyzing the holdings[1] of an ETF is critical to finding the best ETF. Figure 1 shows our top-rated ETF for each style.
Figure 1: The Best ETF in Each Style
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Amongst the ETFs in Figure 1, Global X Super Dividend U.S. ETF (DIV) ranks first overall, WisdomTree U.S. Earnings 500 Fund (EPS) ranks second, and ProShares Ultra Technology (ROM) ranks third. State Street SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Value ETF (MDYV) ranks last.
How to Avoid “The Danger Within”
Why do you need to know the holdings of ETFs before you buy?
You need to be sure you do not buy an ETF that might blow up. Buying an ETF without analyzing its holdings is like buying a stock without analyzing its business and finances. No matter how cheap, if it holds bad stocks, the ETF’s performance will be bad. Don’t just take my word for it, see what Barron’s says on this matter.
PERFORMANCE OF FUND’S HOLDINGS = PERFORMANCE OF FUND
Analyzing each holding within funds is no small task. Our Robo-Analyst technology enables us to perform this diligence with scale and provide the research needed to fulfill the fiduciary duty of care.[1] More of the biggest names in the financial industry (see At BlackRock, Machines Are Rising Over Managers to Pick Stocks) are now embracing technology to leverage machines in the investment research process. Technology may be the only solution to the dual mandate for research: cut costs and fulfill the fiduciary duty of care. Investors, clients, advisors and analysts deserve the latest in technology to get the diligence required to make prudent investment decisions.
If Only Investors Could Find Funds Rated by Their Holdings
Our ETF ratings leverage our stock coverage. We rate ETFs based on the aggregated ratings of the stocks each ETF holds.
Global X Super Dividend U.S. ETF (DIV) is not only the top-rated Large Cap Value ETF, but is also the overall best style ETF out of the 267 style ETFs that we cover.
The worst ETF in Figure 1 is State Street SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Value ETF (MDYV), which gets a Neutral rating. One would think ETF providers could do better for this style.
This article originally published on October 25, 2017.
Disclosure: David Trainer, Kyle Guske II, and Kenneth James receive no compensation to write about any specific stock, style, or theme.
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[1] Ernst & Young’s recent white paper “Getting ROIC Right” proves the superiority of our holdings research and analytics.