April 5, 2021
Investors not accustomed to dealing with extreme ebbs and flows of the market got a rude awakening during the pandemic sell-offs last year. They can help prevent those swings with ETFs that focus on minimizing volatility.
First up is the
iShares Edge MSCI Minimum Volatility USA ETF (USMV). The fund seeks the investment results of the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) Index, which measures the performance of large- and mid-capitalization equity securities listed on stock exchanges in the U.S. that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. equity market.
“This fund can be used as an alternative to broad-based domestic equity funds, though the shallow nature of the underlying portfolio may be a concern,” an ETF Database analysis said. “Perhaps a better use would be as a way to dial down the overall risk of an equity portfolio, essentially allowing investors to scale back their downside loss potential while still maintaining some up side.”