The Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV) was launched on May 5, 2011, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $7.92 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to 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
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.25%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.96%.
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 Utilities sector -- about 22.6% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Tjx Cos Inc/the (TJX) accounts for about 1.25% of total assets, followed by Waste Management Inc (WM) and Evergy Inc (EVRG).
The top 10 holdings account for about 11.85% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
SPLV seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index before fees and expenses. The S&P 500 Low Volatility Index consists of the 100 stocks from the S&P 500 Index with the lowest realized volatility over the past 12 months.
The ETF has gained about 6.39% so far this year and is up roughly 6.94% in the last one year (as of 02/17/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $68.13 and $75.85.
The ETF has a beta of 0.61 and standard deviation of 10.96% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 103 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility 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, SPLV is a sufficient 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 S&P 500 ETF (VOO) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $748.56 billion in assets, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has $847.69 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.
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Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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