Should iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Looking for broad exposure to the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on July 17, 2001.The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $15.63 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.Why Mid Cap ValueMid cap companies, with market capitalization in the range of $2 billion and $10 billion, offer investors many things that small and large companies don't, including less risk and higher growth opportunities. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets. CostsInvestors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.23%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.32%.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 17.4% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Financials round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Corning Inc (GLW) accounts for about 1.16% of total assets, followed by Western Digital Corp (WDC) and Sandisk Corp (SNDK).The top 10 holdings account for about 8.29% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskIWS seeks to match the performance of the Russell MidCap Value Index before fees and expenses. The Russell Midcap Value Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization value sector of the U.S. equity market.The ETF has added about 16.41% so far this year and was up about 27.26% in the last one year (as of 06/15/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $128.19 and $163.74.The ETF has a beta of 0.95 and standard deviation of 15.14% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 718 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesiShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IWS is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well. The First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VOE) track a similar index. While First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF has $11.08 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares has $23.08 billion. SDVY has an expense ratio of 0.58% and VOE charges 0.05%.Bottom-LineWhile an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.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.Boost Your Portfolio with Our Top ETF InsightsZacks' exclusive Fund Newsletter delivers actionable information, top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, straight to your inbox every week.Don’t miss out on this valuable resource. It’s free!Get it now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks