Fund Overview
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF is categorized as a Mid-Cap Blend fund managed by the iShares fund family, providing exposure to the middle tier of companies by market capitalization. With total assets under management reaching $49.60B, the fund demonstrates significant scale, reflecting substantial investor interest and liquidity within the mid-cap segment of the equity market. While the specific number of holdings is not disclosed in the available data, the asset base suggests a diversified portfolio designed to track a broad segment of the mid-cap universe. The fund charges an expense ratio of 0.2%, which is a critical metric for cost-conscious investors as it represents the annual fee deducted from assets to cover operational expenses. Conceptually, this expense ratio positions the fund as a low-cost option relative to many actively managed peers, allowing a larger portion of gross returns to remain available to the shareholder after fees are accounted for.
Performance Analysis
The fund currently offers a yield of 1.2%, providing a baseline level of income distribution that is relevant for investors seeking regular cash flow alongside capital appreciation. The year-to-date return stands at 7.0%, a figure that reflects the fund's performance over the current calendar year and indicates how the portfolio has fared in the most recent market cycle. Over a longer horizon, the 3-year average return is 13.9%, while the 5-year average return is 6.6%; these metrics illustrate the fund's ability to generate positive returns over multi-year periods, though the divergence between the two periods suggests varying market conditions or sector rotations have impacted long-term consistency. Comparing the short-term 7.0% YTD return against the 5-year average of 6.6% reveals that recent performance has outpaced the longer-term mean, while the 3-year average of 13.9% highlights a period of stronger momentum that has since moderated. The 0.2% expense ratio plays a vital role in preserving net returns over time, as lower fees compound positively, ensuring that the difference between gross fund performance and shareholder net returns remains minimal over extended investment horizons.
Price & Risk Profile
The 52-week high for the ETF is recorded at $103.53, while the 52-week low is $73.17, defining a trading range of $30.36 that indicates the volatility experienced by the asset over the past year. This range provides context for the fund's price stability, showing that the asset has experienced significant fluctuations between the high and low points, which is typical for mid-cap equities that are more sensitive to economic cycles than large-cap stocks. To determine where the current price sits within this range, one must consider that the fund is trading below the 52-week high of $103.53 but above the low of $73.17, suggesting it is currently positioned in the upper portion of its annual historical range rather than at extreme lows or highs. The beta value is listed as N/A in the available facts; consequently, a precise quantitative measure of volatility relative to the broader market cannot be calculated or stated based strictly on the provided data. Without a specific beta figure, the overall risk profile is primarily inferred from the wide 52-week price range and the category designation, implying that the fund carries moderate risk associated with mid-cap securities that may exhibit higher price swings than large-cap indices but potentially offer higher growth potential.