Industry Distribution:

• Healthcare: 18%
• Information Technology: 17%
• Consumer Goods: 15%

TOP 3 Markets:

• USA: 75%
• Canada: 10%
• United Kingdom: 5%

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is designed to minimize volatility by investing in stocks that have historically been less prone to fluctuations. The largest industry allocations come from healthcare, information technology, and consumer goods, indicating a defensive investment strategy.

The USA dominates the market share, which is typical for an ETF focusing on the US market. Canada and the United Kingdom follow with significantly smaller shares. This distribution reflects the geographical focus and risk-minimization strategy of the ETF.

iShares Trust - iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV)

iShares Trust is a provider of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and does not produce physical products. Instead, it offers financial products that give investors the opportunity to invest in a diversified basket of stocks. The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF is such a fund that invests in stocks of US companies with lower volatility.

Being a financial product, there are no physical production sites. The ETF is managed by BlackRock, the parent company of iShares. BlackRock is a global company headquartered in New York, USA, and operates offices worldwide to offer its financial services.

Strategy: Focus on Minimizing Volatility and Diversification

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) pursues an investment strategy aimed at minimizing volatility in the portfolio while ensuring broad diversification in the US stock market.

This strategy is implemented by selecting stocks that have historically exhibited lower volatility. The fund invests in a variety of sectors to further diversify risk and achieve stable returns.

In the future, the fund is expected to continue to rely on this proven strategy to provide investors with a lower-risk investment opportunity compared to traditional stock funds. This is particularly attractive for investors seeking stability in volatile market phases.

Imported Raw Materials/Materials: No specific raw materials

Countries of Origin: Not applicable

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in stocks that are part of the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index. As a financial product, the ETF does not import any raw materials or materials itself. Instead, it holds a diversified portfolio of US stocks selected based on specific volatility criteria.

The question of imported raw materials or materials is therefore not directly applicable to an ETF. ETFs invest in securities, and their performance depends on the underlying stocks and their markets, not on physical imports.

Assets Under Management (AUM): 29.5 billion USD (2023)
Expense Ratio: 0.15% (2023)

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) offers a competitive advantage through its focus on lower volatility, which is particularly attractive in uncertain market phases. With assets under management of 29.5 billion USD, it is one of the largest ETFs in its category, providing it with economies of scale and a broad investor base.

The low expense ratio of 0.15% also makes it attractive to cost-conscious investors. The strategy of investing in stocks with lower volatility has proven to be effective in the past to minimize risk while still achieving solid returns.

In summary, the competitive advantage of USMV lies in its size, cost-efficient structure, and proven investment strategy. This makes it a preferred choice for investors seeking stability in their portfolio.

Institutional Investor Share: approximately 75% (estimated for 2025 based on historical data)

Insider Buys/Sells: No significant insider transactions known

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is a popular ETF that aims to minimize volatility and provide stable returns. Due to its structure as an ETF, there are usually no insider transactions as seen with individual companies. The institutional investor share is traditionally high, as ETFs are often used by institutional investors such as pension funds and asset managers to create diversified and low-risk portfolios.

The estimated 75% institutional ownership reflects the confidence of these investors in the strategy and stability of the ETF. This figure is based on historical trends and typical ownership ratios of ETFs of this kind.

Market share of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV): Estimated 10-12% (2025)

Main competitors and their market shares:

1. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): 15-18%
2. SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY): 14-17%
3. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): 13-16%
4. Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ): 8-10%
5. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): 7-9%

Moat of USMV: The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) has a specific moat due to its focus on minimum volatility, making it particularly attractive to risk-averse investors. This strategy can provide an advantage in volatile market phases by aiming to minimize fluctuations and achieve more stable returns.

Compared to other ETFs that often focus on broad market indices or specific sectors, USMV offers a niche strategy that can be superior in certain market conditions. However, ETFs like VOO, SPY, and IVV have a significant advantage due to their broad market coverage and liquidity, making them standard products for many investors.

Overall, the moat of USMV is specific and attractive to a certain group of investors, but not as broad or deep as that of the large, broadly diversified ETFs that have a larger market share and stronger brand recognition.

Fund Size: 29.5 billion USD (2023)
Annual Return (last 5 years): 8.2% (2023)
Volatility: Lower than the overall market

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is designed to provide investors with lower volatility compared to the overall market. It invests in US stocks with relatively low volatility. This makes the ETF particularly attractive to risk-averse investors seeking stable returns with reduced risk.

Over the past five years, the ETF has achieved an average annual return of 8.2%, indicating solid performance. The fund size of 29.5 billion USD also demonstrates high investor interest and liquidity.

The ETF's strategy of investing in less volatile stocks can be advantageous in uncertain market phases. Therefore, USMV could be a good investment for investors who value stability and long-term growth without exposing themselves to market fluctuations.

Dividend Yield: approximately 1.5% - 2.0% (estimated, based on historical data up to 2023)

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) regularly pays out dividends. The distributions typically occur on a quarterly basis and are based on the earnings of the stocks held in the ETF.

Historically, USMV has shown a relatively consistent dividend yield in the range of 1.5% to 2.0%. This reliability is attributed to the stable performance of the companies included in the ETF, which tend to be less volatile and often follow a solid dividend policy.

Since the ETF invests in companies with low volatility, the dividend payment is generally stable, even though it may be somewhat lower compared to other ETFs. Therefore, investors can expect a certain level of reliability in terms of the payouts, as long as the underlying companies maintain their dividend policy.