Looking for broad exposure to the Technology - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
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.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Technology - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 2, placing it in top 13%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $83.53 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the performance of the Technology - Broad segment of the equity market. VGT seeks to match the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index is designed to transition in and out of securities affected by pending updates to the information technology sector.
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 0.10%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.59%.
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 in the Information Technology sector--about 99.90% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 16.07% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Vanguard Information Technology ETF return is roughly 31.11% so far, and was up about 36.74% over the last 12 months (as of 12/04/2024). VGT has traded between $458.39 and $631.63 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.16 and standard deviation of 25.61% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 318 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Information Technology ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VGT is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
IShares U.S. Technology ETF (IYW) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index and the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) tracks Technology Select Sector Index. IShares U.S. Technology ETF has $19.93 billion in assets, Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF has $73.65 billion. IYW has an expense ratio of 0.39% and XLK charges 0.09%.
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.
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Get it free >>Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT): ETF Research Reports
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK): ETF Research Reports
iShares U.S. Technology ETF (IYW): 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.
