The 202 Best iShares ETFs
Is iShares a decent exchange-traded fund (ETF)?
Perhaps you read in 2020 that the typical 60/40 portfolio, which invests 60% in equities and 40% in fixed-income assets, is no longer viable.
The dispute over the 60/40 portfolio has raged for years, but bonds’ exceedingly low income potential hurts the case for having a heavy bond exposure. However, everyone’s risk tolerance is different, so our 80-20 ETF portfolio may be too conservative for some and too risky for others.
Regardless of how much fixed-income exposure you require, the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG, $118.36) can provide it. It is not only one of the best iShares ETFs available, but it is also the world’s largest bond ETF.
The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is tracked by AGG, and you couldn’t ask for more bond exposure. The ETF contains more than 8,300 issues with a weighted average coupon of 3.3 and an effective duration of 5.9 years, implying that for every one-percentage-point increase in interest rates, the fund might lose 5.9% of its value.
U.S. Treasuries, which account for around 38 percent of the ETF’s assets, have the highest weighting. All of the ETFs’ bonds are rated BBB or better in terms of credit quality, making the entire portfolio investment-grade.
The performance of the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF is excellent, especially considering the expense ratio. Over the last five years, it outperformed 71 percent of the 330 funds in the Morningstar Intermediate Core Bond category. During market downturns, it performs extraordinarily well. It gained 7.6% during the financial crisis, compared to 55.3 percent for the S&P 500. And, on a total-return basis, during the market’s 34 percent drop from February to March 2020, AGG was down just over 1%. (price plus income).
* The SEC yield is a standard measure for bond and preferred-stock funds that reflects interest generated after deducting fund expenditures for the most recent 30-day period.
What Vanguard ETF has the best performance?
You probably have access to the top Vanguard funds on the market if you have a tax-advantaged or taxable brokerage account — Vanguard or otherwise — with a self-directed investing option.
If your existing online stock broker does not offer Vanguard funds, you can start a Vanguard self-directed account for free.
The following is a list of the best Vanguard ETFs for DIY retail investors, or individuals who want to create their own portfolios without using the services of a qualified financial advisor.
As of Q2 2021, each entry includes the instrument’s expenditure ratio (total operating expenses) and five-year return. Compare these data to similar securities offered by other fund issuers, such as Fidelity and Charles Schwab, which are both known for having low expense ratios.
Each listing also includes Vanguard’s patented “risk potential” score, which ranks the chance of principle loss and growth on a scale of one to five, with five being the most dangerous. Stock-only funds carry a higher risk than funds that primarily invest in bonds and other fixed-income instruments.
Last but not least, the majority of these ETFs are accessible as Vanguard index funds (mutual funds), with investment minimums of $3,000 in most cases. Consult your financial advisor about investing in those instruments instead of these if you can satisfy the minimum investment and don’t mind waiting until the next trading session for your orders to be filled.
VOO or IVV: which is better?
Fidelity investors used to favor IVV over VOO because IVV could be traded commission-free. Investors can choose index ETFs based on expense ratio now that Fidelity (and many other brokerages) provide commission-free trading for all equities, and I would recommend VOO over IVV to Fidelity investors.
What exactly are BlackRock iShares?
BlackRock bought the iShares brand and company from Barclays in 2009, and now manages a group of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). World Equity Benchmark Shares (WEBS) were the initial iShares ETFs, however they have subsequently been renamed.
Although some iShares funds are actively managed, the majority of them track a bond or stock market index. The London Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, BATS Exchange, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Mexican Stock Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange, Australian Securities Exchange, B3 Brasil Bolsa Balco, and a number of European and Asian stock exchanges are among the stock exchanges that list iShares funds. iShares is the largest ETF issuer in the United States and the world.
Vanguard or iShares: which is better?
These are two of the most popular large-cap growth funds, and while they track different indexes, their performance is extremely comparable. Over both the long and short terms, the returns are nearly equal. The iShares fund is somewhat more diversified and less volatile, as assessed by its beta and standard deviation figures, but the difference is insignificant.
The only noteworthy difference is the Vanguard Growth ETF’s expense ratio, which is 0.04 percent compared to 0.19 percent for the iShares fund. So, based on that key distinction, I’d probably opt with the Vanguard Growth ETF if I had to choose. However, both have a long history, a strong track record, and are two of the three largest in their class. You can’t go wrong with either option.
Is ITOT or VTI the better option?
- The S&P Total Market Index is followed by ITOT. The CRSP US Total Market Index is followed by VTI.
- VTI has a somewhat higher exposure to small- and mid-cap equities than ITOT, and consequently has outperformed ITOT in the past.
- To prevent a wash sale, this is an excellent pair to employ for tax loss harvesting.