Should iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Launched on 05/22/2000, the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $91.12 billion, making it the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.Why Mid Cap BlendWith market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion, mid cap companies usually contain higher growth prospects than large cap companies, and are considered less risky than their small cap counterparts. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.CostsCost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.05%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.38%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsEven though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 21% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Williams Sonoma Inc (WSM) accounts for about 0.87% of total assets, followed by Interactive Brokers Group Inc Clas (IBKR) and Expand Energy Corp (EXE).The top 10 holdings account for about 1.67% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskIJH seeks to match the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P MidCap 400 Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.The ETF has lost about -4.12% so far this year and was up about 2.10% in the last one year (as of 03/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $56.43 and $67.87.The ETF has a beta of 1.13 and standard deviation of 19.51% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 411 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesIShares Core S&P Mid-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, IJH is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR) and the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) track a similar index. While iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF has $37.94 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF has $73.23 billion. IWR has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VO charges 0.04%.Bottom-LineRetail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also 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.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 iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH): ETF Research Reports Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR): Free Stock Analysis Report Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM): Free Stock Analysis Report Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO): ETF Research Reports iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR): ETF Research Reports Expand Energy Corporation (EXE): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks