3 smart beta ETFs for investors looking to beat the market

These smart beta ETFs target shares with characteristics shown to beat the market in the long term.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Investing in ETFs is a quick and relatively inexpensive way for new investors to get exposure to the stock market. But for those who aren’t so keen to track broad market indexes, smart-beta ETFs may offer many of the benefits of active management but at substantially lower costs.

Unlike most traditional ETFs, which are typically passive funds that follow popular stock market indexes such as the FTSE 100 and the S&P 500, smart-beta ETFs follow a different kind of index, in which stock weights are not purely dependent on market capitalisation. Instead, stock weights depend on other factors, such as volatility, momentum, value or dividend history. And as such, smart beta ETFs target shares with characteristics shown to beat the market in the long term.

Minimum volatility

In the low volatility space, there’s the iShares Edge MSCI World Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF (LSE: MVOL). The fund aims to provide investors diversified exposure to developed companies, while seeking to minimise the market’s ups and downs.

It tracks the performance of a selected portfolio of shares, which on aggregate, has lower volatility characteristics relative to broader equity indexes. It’s clear that the intention is to create a less risky portfolio of shares, but there are also downsides to consider.

Firstly, its performance over the past three years has been less stellar than the standard MSCI World Index, with a total return of 31%, compared to the benchmark’s gain of 53%. Additionally, fees may be somewhat more expensive than the cheapest ETFs on the market today, as the iShares’ smart beta fund has a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.3%.

Dividends

For income investors, the SPDR S&P Euro Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF (LSE: EUDV) may be a better pick. The fund invests in the 40 highest yielding eurozone companies within the S&P Europe Broad Market Index that have either increased or maintained annual dividends for at least 10 consecutive years.

Shares in the ETF are sterling-denominated, making it simpler and potentially cheaper for most UK investors. But despite being sterling-denominated, investors are still exposed to currency risks — as the fund’s stock holdings are euro-denominated, your returns may fall or rise as the pound strengthens or weakens against the euro.

As of 31 July, France is its largest geographical exposure, representing nearly 30% of total assets, and this is followed by Germany (22.8%), Italy (12.5%) and the Netherlands (11.2%). The weighted-average dividend yield for its portfolio is 3.65% and the fund’s TER is 0.35%.

Value

Finally, the Vanguard Global Value Factor UCITS ETF (LSE: VVAL) is one of my favourites among value-focused funds. It uses a rules-based active approach that favours stocks which trade at low multiples on book value, past earnings, estimated future earnings and operating cash flow. It’s a relatively new fund, launched only in December 2015, but has so far performed well.

Since its inception less than two years ago, the ETF has delivered a total return of 52%, which significantly exceeds its benchmark FTSE Developed All Cap Index’s performance of 36% over the same period. Looking ahead however, future outperformance can’t be assured. Past performance may not be a good indicator for future results, and there are concerns that performance chasers are pushing prices to unsustainable levels.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Jack Tang has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d use £3,000 to target a second income that grows each year

Our writer explains the approach he'd take to trying to build a second income that gets bigger over time, by…

Read more »

Elevated view over city of London skyline
Investing Articles

Is it time to buy this incredible FTSE dividend share?

Christopher Ruane examines one FTSE 100 share with a phenomenal dividend history. Does a steep share price fall this year…

Read more »

Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

This FTSE 100 share has just crashed another 20%. Its P/E is now just 9.9 so should I buy?

Harvey Jones was tempted to buy this FTSE 100 share after it crashed in October. Now it's crashed again, it…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Could Trump 2.0 be good for FTSE 250 stocks?

Donald Trump’s just been elected President of the United States for a second time. Our writer considers whether this could…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Trading at a 10-year low, this FTSE income stock now yields a chunky 6.99%!

Harvey Jones has been watching from the sidelines as shares in this FTSE 100 income stock just fall and fall.…

Read more »

Dividend Shares

Is a Bank of England rate cut good for the Lloyds share price?

Ken Hall analyses what the latest interest rate cut could mean for the Lloyds share price with the UK bank’s…

Read more »

Investing Articles

2 brilliant bargains I’m considering for my Stocks and Shares ISA!

These FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 shares offer exceptional value on paper. Here's why I'm considering them for my Stocks…

Read more »

Shot of a senior man drinking coffee and looking thoughtfully out of a window
Dividend Shares

How much passive income could I generate with just £10 per day?

Ken Hall wants to create his £10,000 yearly passive income dream by investing just £10 every weekday day in Footsie…

Read more »