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Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 11/03/2009.

The fund is sponsored by Charles Schwab. It has amassed assets over $42.77 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Blend

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments.

Costs

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.03%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.28%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 26.20% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) accounts for about 6.52% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).

The top 10 holdings account for about 31.89% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

SCHX seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index before fees and expenses. The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market measures all U.S. equity securities with readily available prices. The index includes approximately the largest 750 stocks and is float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted.

The ETF has added about 13.66% so far this year and was up about 19.65% in the last one year (as of 07/26/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $48.47 and $66.82.

The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 17.48% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 750 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, SCHX is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $491.91 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $554.22 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.

Bottom-Line

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX): ETF Research Reports

Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports

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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.