If you're interested in broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (IJS), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on July 24, 2000.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $8.08 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Value
There's a lot of potential to investing in small cap companies, but with market capitalization below $2 billion, that high potential comes with even higher risk.
Value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios. They also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. While value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.
Costs
Investors 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 0.18%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.33%.
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 Financials sector -- about 18.3% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Industrials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Molina Healthcare Inc (MOH) accounts for about 1.15% of total assets, followed by Match Group Inc (MTCH) and Eastman Chemical (EMN).
Performance and Risk
IJS seeks to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index before fees and expenses. The S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index measures the performance of the small capitalization value sector of the U.S. equity market.
The ETF return is roughly 19.93% so far this year and it's up approximately 30.55% in the last one year (as of 07/24/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $98.99 and $138.11.
The ETF has a beta of 0.99 and standard deviation of 20.73% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 486 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 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, IJS is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VBR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $14.28 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares has $36.71 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also 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.
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
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (IJS): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).