Should Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Launched on 02/23/2016, the Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.The fund is sponsored by Janus Henderson. It has amassed assets over $254.35 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.Why Small Cap GrowthWith more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.Growth stocks have higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. While these are expected to grow faster than the broader market, they also have higher valuations. Further, growth stocks have a higher level of volatility associated with them. Compared to value stocks, growth stocks are a safer bet in a strong bull market, but don't perform as strongly in almost all other financial environments.CostsExpense 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 0.30%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.17%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsEven 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 Industrials sector--about 30% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated. (CORT) accounts for about 4.21% of total assets, followed by Doximity Inc. Class A (DOCS) and Leonardo Drs Inc. (DRS).The top 10 holdings account for about 26.48% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskJSML 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.The ETF has added roughly 14.19% so far this year and is up about 13.75% in the last one year (as of 12/25/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $55.56 and $73.60.The ETF has a beta of 1.27 and standard deviation of 25.40% for the trailing three-year period. With about 206 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesJanus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha 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, JSML is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $12.69 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $19.64 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%.Bottom-LinePassively 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.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 Report Leonardo DRS, Inc. (DRS): 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