ETF Evaluator:
VanEck Retail ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Consumer Cyclical Over the Last Year
| 18.2% | Invesco S&P SmallCap Cnsmr Discret ETF (PSCD) |
| 16.5% | Invesco Dynamic Leisure and Entmnt ETF (PEJ) |
| 16.5% | AdvisorShares Hotel ETF (BEDZ) |
| 15.2% | State Street® SPDR® S&P® Retail ETF (XRT) |
| 12.3% | VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
VanEck Retail ETF Overview
VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) is a passively managed Sector Equity Consumer Cyclical exchange-traded fund (ETF). VanEck launched the ETF in 2011.
The investment seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the MVIS® US Listed Retail 25 Index.
The fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the fund's benchmark index. To be initially eligible for the index, companies must generate at least 50% of their revenues from retail. Retail includes companies engaged primarily in retail distribution; wholesalers; online, direct mail and TV retailers; multi-line retailers; specialty retailers; and food and other staples retailers. The fund is non-diversified.
About VanEck Retail ETF (RTH)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 8.56 years: Peter Liao (2011) and Griffin Driscoll (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI ACWI NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MVIS US Listed Retail 25 NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. VanEck Retail ETF has 26 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 70.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
VanEck Retail ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. VanEck Retail ETF has 2.5% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 97.4% There is 2.5% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). VanEck Retail ETF has 0.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $257 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Consumer Cyclical category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
RTH Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The VanEck Retail ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Consumer Cyclical category. VanEck Retail ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35%, which is 18% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. VanEck Retail ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 9%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 41% for the Consumer Cyclical category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, VanEck Retail ETF returned 4.9%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Consumer Cyclical category had an average return of -0.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
VanEck Retail ETF has a trailing yield of 0.90%, which is below the 0.97% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
VanEck Retail ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 7.6%, 7.6 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 12.3% over the past year (grade of A), 15.3% over the past three years (grade of A) and 9.8% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 14.0% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about VanEck Retail ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
RTH Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| RTH Return (NAV) | 4.9% | -0.7% | 12.3% | 15.3% | 9.8% | 14.0% |
| RTH Return (Price) | 4.9% | -0.6% | 12.3% | 15.3% | 9.8% | 14.0% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.061% | -0.092% | 0.024% | 0.008% | 0.003% | 0.005% |
| Consumer Cyclical Avg | -0.2% | 1.5% | 3.6% | 9.5% | 2.6% | 10.2% |
| RTH Grade (NAV) | A | D | A | A | A | A |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 5.2% | -2.2% | 8.7% | 5.9% | 7.1% | 3.8% |
| RTH Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
RTH Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| RTH Return (NAV) | 7.6% | 12.5% | 19.8% | 20.0% | -17.5% | 25.0% | 31.4% | 29.1% | 4.0% | 22.2% | -0.6% |
| RTH Return (Price) | 7.5% | 12.4% | 20.0% | 20.1% | -17.7% | 25.0% | 31.6% | 29.1% | 3.9% | 22.4% | -0.7% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.010% | -0.008% | 0.012% | 0.002% | 0.007% | -0.001% | 0.008% | -0.2% | -3.2% | 0.9% | 19.4% |
| Consumer Cyclical Avg | 0.0% | 8.1% | 17.0% | 30.5% | -30.4% | 17.0% | 38.6% | 26.9% | -8.6% | 25.0% | 5.1% |
| RTH Grade (NAV) | A | B | C | F | A | B | B | B | A | C | F |
| +/- Category | 7.6% | 4.3% | 2.8% | -10.5% | 12.9% | 7.9% | -7.3% | 2.2% | 12.6% | -2.8% | -5.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.80 |
| R-Squared: | 56% |
| Standard Deviation: | 13.5% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.66 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.10 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.9% |
| Total Assets: | $ 258 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 258 Mil |
| Turnover: | 9.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.35% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI ACWI NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 14.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 8.6 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Liao Peter (2011), Driscoll Griffin (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 26 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 70.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.5% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 97.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 2.5% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.1% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | VanEck |
| Phone Number: | 800-826-2333 |
| Website: | www.marketvectorsetfs.com |
| Inception Date: | December 20, 2011 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.35% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.43% |