SPUS is a leading Shariah-compliant U.S. equity comprised of roughly 200 S&P 500 Index stocks. Its expense ratio is 0.45%, and the ETF has $1.64B in assets under management. Despite the suggestion, SPUS is not a substitute for S&P 500 Index ETFs like SPY. In fact, it's heavily concentrated in tech, and consequently, it's much more risky and growth-oriented. Complementing SPUS with a lower P/E fund like HLAL is one solution, but I think readers should consider the ten stocks listed below, selected for their fundamental characteristics.
SPUS is comprised of 200+ Shariah-compliant S&P 500 Index stocks. Its expense ratio is 0.45% and the ETF has an impressive $1.36 billion in assets under management. SPUS excludes stocks in the Aerospace & Defense, Financial Exchanges & Data, and Transaction & Payment Processing Services sub-industries and also applies several sector-based screens. The ETF is market-cap-weighted, so the weights of these excluded stocks get redistributed to the top, resulting in nearly 53% allocated to the Magnificent Seven.
SPUS tracks the S&P 500 Shariah Industry Exclusions Index, selecting large-cap companies meeting specific screens related to how they derive net income. Fees are 0.45% and AUM is $575 million. SPUS also screens constituents for debt, and the fund ranks an impressive #18/57 on profitability among the large-cap growth ETFs I track. High quality is SPUS' best fundamental feature. The downside is SPUS is highly concentrated, with 47% allocated to Magnificent Seven stocks and two-thirds of assets in only 25 companies.
| ARCA Exchange | US Country |
The described company operates a unique investment fund that specifically focuses on offering Shariah-compliant investment opportunities within the S&P 500 universe, excluding companies from specific sub-industries such as Aerospace & Defense, Financial Exchanges & Data, and Data Processing & Outsourced Services. This exclusion criterion aligns with the Shariah law’s investment principles, which prohibit investments in certain sectors. The investment approach emphasizes a near-complete allocation of assets into the securities that comprise the selected index, aiming for a direct correlation with the index's performance. The fund operates under a non-diversified status, concentrating its investments in the compliant sectors, thereby offering a focused yet Shariah-compliant investment vehicle for interested investors. Additionally, the fund pledges to invest at least 80% of its total assets in the components of the index, ensuring a strong commitment to its foundational strategy.
This product offers investors the opportunity to invest in an index fund that is comprised of S&P 500 companies, excluding those involved in Aerospace & Defense, Financial Exchanges & Data, and Data Processing & Outsourced Services to comply with Shariah law. It provides a pathway for investors looking for ethically aligned investment opportunities within the broader U.S. equity market.
The fund's approach to investment is characterized by an attempt to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the securities that make up the index. This strategy is designed to closely track the performance of the selected S&P 500® Shariah Index, minus the excluded sub-industries, ensuring a focused and efficient investment process.
As a non-diversified fund, this investment offering enables investors to concentrate their investments in the Shariah-compliant sectors of the market. This focused approach allows for potentially higher returns on those particular segments, albeit with higher risk due to the lack of diversification across different sectors.
Highlighting its investment philosophy, the fund guarantees that at least 80% of its total assets will be invested in the components of the index. This commitment ensures that the majority of the fund's assets are always aligned with its core strategy of replicating the index's performance while adhering to Shariah principles.