Is Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) a Strong ETF Right Now?

A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) debuted on 02/23/2016, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth 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 well for investors who believe in market efficiency.There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.Fund Sponsor & IndexThe fund is managed by Janus Henderson, and has been able to amass over $239.52 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. JSML seeks to match the performance of the Janus Small Cap Growth Alpha Index before fees and expenses.The Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha Index selects small-sized capitalization stocks that are poised for smart growth by evaluating each company performance in three critical areas: growth, profitability, and capital efficiency.Cost & Other ExpensesFor ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.Annual operating expenses for JSML are 0.30%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.JSML's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 0.45%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.For JSML, it has heaviest allocation in the Industrials sector --about 29.90% of the portfolio --while Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Doximity Inc. Class A (DOCS) accounts for about 3.63% of total assets, followed by Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated. (CORT) and Corvel Corporation (CRVL).Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 24.51% of JSML's total assets under management.Performance and RiskThe ETF return is roughly 11.17% so far this year and is up about 35.68% in the last one year (as of 10/22/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $47.39 and $66.71.JSML has a beta of 1.25 and standard deviation of 25.35% for the trailing three-year period. With about 206 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesJanus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.IShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) tracks Russell 2000 Growth Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index. IShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $12.10 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $18.33 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%.Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Small Cap Growth.Bottom LineTo 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.Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML): ETF Research Reports Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (CORT): Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK): ETF Research Reports Doximity, Inc. (DOCS): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks