The iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF (IJT) was launched on 07/24/2000, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $6.70 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Growth
Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.
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.
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 0.18%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.02%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even 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 18.80% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Blk Csh Fnd Treasury Sl Agency (XTSLA) accounts for about 2.21% of total assets, followed by Glaukos Corp (GKOS) and Alaska Air Group Inc (ALK).
Performance and Risk
IJT seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index measures the performance of the small-capitalization growth sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF has added about 4.65% so far this year and it's up approximately 17.70% in the last one year (as of 02/07/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $121.57 and $150.65.
The ETF has a beta of 1.12 and standard deviation of 21.69% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 373 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth 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, IJT is a reasonable 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 $12.77 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $20.44 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%.
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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iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF (IJT): ETF Research Reports
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO): ETF Research Reports
Glaukos Corporation (GKOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK): 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.
