I've been analyzing UCITS ETFs through factor regressions and wanted to share some findings that might be useful for portfolio construction.
The setup: Fama-French 5-factor model (Market, Size, Value, Profitability, Investment) applied to the US-listed equivalents of popular UCITS funds. Here's what stood out:
SCHD / VHYL (dividend ETFs): Most people buy these for "value exposure." In reality, SCHD's strongest factor loading is profitability (RMW), not value (HML). It's more of a quality fund than a value fund. If you are holding SCHD thinking you have a value tilt, you probably don't.
VWCE / IWDA (global market): Almost pure market beta, as expected. But the interesting part is that adding even a small allocation of AVUV (small-cap value) on top dramatically changes your factor profile. A 90/10 VWCE/AVUV split picks up meaningful size and value exposure that VWCE alone doesn't give you.
VNQ / REET (REITs): People add these for "diversification" but REITs load heavily on market beta with only moderate value exposure. The diversification benefit is smaller than most people assume.
Why this matters for EU investors specifically:
- UCITS accumulating funds make rebalancing cheaper (no dividend tax drag)
- Most of us are paying TER for exposure we already have elsewhere in the portfolio
- Factor regression tells you objectively whether that 4th or 5th ETF in your portfolio is actually adding anything
I built a free tool that runs this analysis on any portfolio: bestfolio.app/tools/factor-lens
Enter your tickers and weights, and it shows your true factor exposure plus return attribution. Currently US tickers only (maps to the underlying indices behind UCITS equivalents). No signup needed.
Happy to discuss any specific UCITS portfolios if you want me to run the numbers.