iShares MSCI Intl Momentum Factor ETF (IMTM) offers ex-US momentum exposure but closely tracks broader international indices like IXUS. IMTM is overweight financials and industrials, making it highly sensitive to macroeconomic trends in countries like Japan, Canada, and Europe. Recent US growth prospects and rate decisions provide a near-term rally force for global markets, yet USD hedge value has diminished and sectoral differentiation is minor.
With the U.S. dollar weakening, one can consider international assets, especially equities, for diversification and currency tailwinds. IMTM offers exposure to developed international stocks with a momentum factor, avoiding U.S. equities and providing broad geographic diversification. IMTM has outperformed the popular VEA ETF over the past year, delivering higher returns and lower volatility, as shown by its superior Sharpe ratio.
In the one-year period ended June 2025, the S&P 500 Momentum Index rose 30%, essentially double the gain of the S&P 500. Momentum was the best-performing factor of the widely tracked benchmark, ahead of growth, free cash flow, and even high beta slices.
| ARCA Exchange | US Country |
The company specializes in investment strategies focused on delivering superior returns by targeting stocks with high momentum characteristics. It commits at least 80 percent of its invested assets to securities that form part of an index, as well as to investments with similar economic characteristics to those securities. The cornerstone of its investment philosophy is the emphasis on stocks that show greater momentum than those found in the traditional market capitalization-weighted index, specifically the MSCI World ex USA Index. This approach seeks to offer investors a distinct avenue for capital growth by capitalizing on the momentum investing strategy, which involves investing in securities that have had higher price movements with the expectation that they will continue to perform well.
This product revolves around investment in securities that are part of a specified index. The company's primary index focus is on those securities showing more significant momentum than their counterparts in the MSCI World ex USA Index. The fund's strategy is to maintain a portfolio composition that mirrors the economic characteristics of these higher momentum securities, thereby aiming to capture superior returns in comparison to broader market indices.
The cornerstone of the fund's offerings, this strategy seeks to invest in stocks exhibiting high momentum within their respective markets. Momentum, in this context, is determined by securities that have shown consistent price increases or have the potential for such, based on a variety of financial metrics. By concentrating on these momentum characteristics, the fund aims to outperform the market capitalization-weighted indexes and deliver enhanced returns to its investors through a well-curated selection of dynamic securities.