Key Points
ITOT contains U.S. stocks of all sizes, including small-, mid-, and large-cap.
ITOT's stock price has increased by over 200% in the past decade.
With an expense ratio of 0.03%, ITOT is one of the cheapest ETFs on the market.
Instead of picking individual stocks and hoping to choose the right ones, sometimes, the best way to invest in the stock market is through a broad exchange-traded fund (ETF) like the iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: ITOT).
Over the past decade, this ETF has increased by 202%, meaning a $1,000 investment then would be worth $3,020 today. It might not be the hypergrowth we've seen in recent years from some growth stocks, but it's a strong performance for a 2,500-stock ETF.
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The ETF holds small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks and is one of the better ways to gain exposure to the total U.S. equity market. Many indexes, such as the S&P 500 and Russell 2000, focus on companies of specific sizes (large-cap and small-cap, respectively), but this ETF is as broad as they come, minus including international stocks.
The iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF is weighted by market cap, so larger companies make up larger portions of the ETF than smaller companies. This is why the tech sector is roughly a third of the ETF, and nine of its top 10 holdings are tech companies. As a bonus, it is one of the cheapest ETFs that you'll find on the stock market, regardless of type. Its expense ratio is 0.03%, meaning you'll only pay $0.30 annually per $1,000 invested.
Should you invest $1,000 in iShares Trust - iShares Core S&P Total U.s. Stock Market ETF right now?
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Stefon Walters has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.