Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF (JHML) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on September 28, 2015.
The fund is sponsored by John Hancock. It has amassed assets over $1.14 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
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 0.29%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.96%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector -- about 30.7% of the portfolio. Financials and Industrials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 4.02% of total assets, followed by Nvidia Corp (NVDA) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).
The top 10 holdings account for about 22.63% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
JHML seeks to match the performance of the John Hancock Dimensional Large Cap Index before fees and expenses. The John Hancock Dimensional Large Cap Index comprises of a subset of securities in the U.S. Universe issued by companies whose market capitalizations are larger than that of the 801st largest U.S. company.
The ETF has added about 9.58% so far this year and is up roughly 24.67% in the last one year (as of 06/08/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $71.04 and $89.58.
The ETF has a beta of 0.97 and standard deviation of 13.96% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 782 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap 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, JHML is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF Shares (VOO) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $835.21 billion in assets, Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF Shares has $971.09 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VOO charges 0.03%.
Bottom-Line
While 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 Insights
Zacks' 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 >>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
John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF (JHML): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).