Should You Invest in the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT)? – Entrepreneur

This story originally appeared on Zacks

Launched on 06/19/2006, the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Healthcare - Biotech segment of the equity market.

Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Healthcare - Biotech is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 12, placing it in bottom 25%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.71 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Healthcare - Biotech segment of the equity market. FBT seeks to match the performance of the NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index before fees and expenses.

The NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index is an equal dollar weighted index designed to measure the performance of a cross section of companies in the biotechnology industry that are primarily involved in the use of biological processes to develop products or provide services.

Costs

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.55%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.37%.

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 in the Healthcare sector--about 100% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Biontech Se (adr) (BNTX) accounts for about 3.57% of total assets, followed by Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) and Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL).

The top 10 holdings account for about 34.33% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 0% so far this year and is down about -2.27% in the last one year (as of 01/03/2022). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $153.09 and $184.84.

The ETF has a beta of 0.90 and standard deviation of 25.10% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 31 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology 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, FBT is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Health Care ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) tracks S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) tracks Nasdaq Biotechnology Index. SPDR S&P Biotech ETF has $7.17 billion in assets, iShares Biotechnology ETF has $10.07 billion. XBI has an expense ratio of 0.35% and IBB charges 0.45%.

Bottom Line

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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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportFirst Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT): ETF Research ReportsCharles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL): Free Stock Analysis ReportModerna, Inc. (MRNA): Free Stock Analysis ReportiShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB): ETF Research ReportsSPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI): ETF Research ReportsBioNTech SE Sponsored ADR (BNTX): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.

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Should You Invest in the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT)? - Entrepreneur