Is FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF (HYGV) a Strong ETF Right Now?


The FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF (HYGV) made its debut on 07/17/2018, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

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.

On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies–popularly known as smart beta.

These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.

This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Because the fund has amassed over $1.40 billion, this makes it one of the larger ETFs in the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs. HYGV is managed by Flexshares. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the NORTHERN TRUST HY VLU-SCRD US CORP BD ID before fees and expenses.

The Northern Trust High Yield Value-Scored US Corporate Bond Index measures the performance of a diversified universe of high yield, US-dollar denominated bonds of companies exhibiting favorable fundamental qualities, market valuations and liquidity.

Cost & Other Expenses

When considering an ETF’s total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.37%.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 8.73%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it’s still important for investors to research a fund’s holdings.

When you look at individual holdings, Intelsat Jackson Holdings Sa Callable Notes Fixed-6.50%-03/15/2030 (INTEL) accounts for about 1.15% of the fund’s total assets, followed by Carvana Co Sr Sec Pik 31-1-6-2031 (CVNA) and Carvana Co-1-6-2030 (CVNA).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 5.99% of HYGV’s total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added about 3.52% so far this year and is up about 9.25% in the last one year (as of 08/06/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $38.51 and $41.20.

The ETF has a beta of 0.50 and standard deviation of 8.79% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1001 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

IShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) tracks BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Constrained Index and the iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) tracks Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index. IShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has $16.09 billion in assets, iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has $16.43 billion. USHY has an expense ratio of 0.08% and HYG charges 0.49%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs.

Bottom Line

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 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

FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF (HYGV): ETF Research Reports

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG): ETF Research Reports

Carvana Co. (CVNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY): ETF Research Reports

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