6 Keys to a Robust ETF Portfolio

ETFs have become a popular investment choice due to their unique strategies, creativity, transparency, diversification benefits, enhanced tax competencies, low turnover and low costs. A healthy ETF portfolio requires careful planning and execution. Here are the six keys to building a robust and healthy ETF portfolio that that could provide downside protection along with capital appreciation.

Diversification

Designing a diversified investment portfolio involves the inclusion of stocks of different companies, securities and industries in order to minimize risks and achieve optimal risk-adjusted returns. A shock from any industry player or the economy can push the stock market into a tailspin, leading to massive losses in the portfolio. Thus, diversification is extremely important.

While several ETFs offer diversification benefits, Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF RSP, Direxion NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index Shares QQQE and ALPS Equal Weight Sector ETF EQL seem excellent choices (read: 2025 Market Outlook & Investment Strategies).

RSP offers almost equal allocation of the stocks of the S&P 500 Index, whereas QQQE provides equal-weight exposure to the cap-weighted Nasdaq-100 Index. Meanwhile, EQL is a relevant choice for investors looking for sector-level diversification.

Blend

Blend funds consist of a mix of growth and value stocks, and are considered most suitable in any market. The goal of these funds is to appreciate in value by means of capital gains generated primarily from the growth portion and income derived from the value portion.

Among some of the popular blend equity ETFs are SPDR S&P 500 ETF SPY, Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF SCHX and iShares Russell 1000 ETF IWB.

Assets Under Management (AUM)

AUM is the sum of the market value for all investments managed by a fund or family of funds. ETFs with the highest AUM tend to have higher trading volume, low expenses and good tracking error. These invest in a broader range of assets, enhancing diversification benefits.

SPY, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF IVV and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF VTI are the largest ETFs with AUMs of $658.6 billion, $611.9 billion, $553.8 billion and $476 billion, respectively.

Expense Ratio

The expense ratio is significant in determining the returns of an ETF. A fund with a low expense ratio comfortably outperforms its more expensive counterparts if the other factors remain the same. Fortunately, the expense ratio has drastically declined in recent years due to cutthroat competition (read: A Guide to the 25 Cheapest ETFs). 

BNY Mellon US Large Cap Core Equity ETF BKLC is the cheapest choice in the space, with an expense ratio of 0.00%. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF SPLG, JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Equity ETF BBUS and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF VTI have expense ratios of 0.02%, 0.02% and 0.03%, respectively.

Volume

Volume, or the number of shares traded in a particular period, is the most important consideration for determining the liquidity of a fund. An ETF should have enough liquidity in order to easily purchase and sell on the market. A higher volume provides easy access to move in and out of the product, keeping the bid/ask spreads tight. Further, greater volume ensures easy creation and redemption of shares in the fund’s basket, which is a regular and vital mechanism.

While several ETFs trade in higher volumes, SPY and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund XLF are the most heavily traded. The funds have average daily volumes of 43.9 million and 38.7 million, respectively.

Dividend

Dividend-paying securities are the major sources of consistent income for investors when returns from the equity market are at risk. Dividend-focused products offer both safety in the form of payouts and stability in the form of mature companies that are less vulnerable to volatility in stock prices. 

While several choices are available in the dividend space, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF VIG, Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF SCHD and Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF VYM are some of the most popular ones.

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