Should Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Looking for broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $28.56 billion, making it the largest ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Small Cap Value

Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.

Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks 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

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 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.25%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 21.60% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Atmos Energy Corp (ATO) accounts for about 0.76% of total assets, followed by Nrg Energy Inc (NRG) and Smurfit Westrock Plc (SW).

Performance and Risk

VBR seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index measures the investment return of small-capitalization value stocks.

The ETF has lost about -4.63% so far this year and is up about 2.10% in the last one year (as of 05/23/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $162.76 and $217.30.

The ETF has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 20.46% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 840 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Small-Cap 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, VBR 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 Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $10.70 billion in assets, Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF has $15.13 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and AVUV charges 0.25%.

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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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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