Vanguard U.S. Multifactor Price, Forecast, Insider, Ratings, Fundamentals & Signals

Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF is an actively managed fund holding about 500 stocks selected by proprietary factor-based rules. VFMF is better diversified than the benchmark across sectors and holdings, and it shows better aggregate valuation and growth metrics. VFMF has lagged behind the benchmark and larger multifactor ETFs since inception but has performed well relative to peers in the last 12 months.

Quantitative multi-factor investing is gaining popularity, but most approaches attempt to select stocks that score well on every factor. The Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF selects stocks based on momentum, quality, and value, but its returns have been modest over the long run. In contrast, the Invesco Russell 1000 Dynamic Multifactor ETF uses a dynamic approach based on the business cycle and has historically outperformed VFMF.

VFMF is a multi-factor fund providing equal balance to the momentum, quality, and value factors. Its selection universe is the Russell 3000 Index, and its expense ratio is 0.18%. Unfortunately, my analysis reveals VFMF does a poor job balancing these three factors. Instead, it has a strong value lean, evidenced by a 14.16x forward P/E. Among 154 Total Market Blend ETFs, VFMF's value score ranks #10, but its profit score ranks #123. These rankings help explain its substantial underperformance vs. IWV since its 2018 launch.

Mid-cap and small-cap stocks have historically outperformed large-cap stocks, suggesting potential for alpha generation in the mid-cap segment of the US stock market. The Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF could be a suitable option for investors looking to switch to mid-cap exposure, as its mid-cap value stocks have outperformed large-cap stocks in the past three years. Investors should consider factors such as market cap, growth vs value stocks, sector allocations, and active or passive stock selection when comparing alpha-generating ETFs.

Bull vs. Bear is a weekly feature where the VettaFi writers' room takes opposite sides for a debate on controversial stocks, strategies, or market ideas — with plenty of discussion of ETF ideas to play either angle. For this edition of Bull vs.

VFMF is an actively-managed multi-factor ETF emphasizing momentum, quality, and value, after applying a volatility screen to eliminate the market's most volatile stocks. Oddly, VFMF has underperformed three other Vanguard ETFs that emphasize these factors individually. In this case, the whole is less than the sum of the parts.

VFMF selects U.S. stocks from all size segments based on recent price momentum, quality, and price. VFMF is actively-managed with a low 0.18% expense ratio. Interestingly, the strategy includes eliminating highly-volatile stocks. However, VFMF's current five-year beta is still high at 1.15, and historical standard deviation is also above broad-market ETFs.

Factor investing is an alternative to indexing and active investing that has outperformed the market in the past.