MOAT ETF Analysis: Holdings, Fees, Inception, Sectors, And Portfolio Role

Investor Checklist

• Issuer and listing venue: VanEck, Cboe BZX / BATS.
• Launch date and fee: April 25, 2012, 0.46%.
• Portfolio size and concentration: 58 holdings, with the top 10 at 27.93%.
• Primary exposure: U.S. companies with Morningstar wide-moat ratings across semiconductors, consumer staples, travel platforms, building products, cybersecurity, healthcare and financial services.
• Best use case: Quality-value satellite or complement to a broad S&P 500 fund for investors who want less mega-cap concentration and more emphasis on competitive advantage.
• Main risk to respect: The fund depends on Morningstar's moat and valuation model. It can lag in narrow mega-cap rallies, and reconstitution can move the portfolio into unloved sectors before market sentiment improves.

MOAT Investor Snapshot

MOAT is VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF, issued by VanEck. It is best understood as a factor tilt that complements a broad index. The fund has About $11.5B to $11.8B in May 2026 snapshots in AUM, charges 0.46%, holds 58 holdings, and has top-10 concentration of 27.93%. Its largest listed holdings include NXP Semiconductors (3.48%), Mondelez International (2.85%), Airbnb (2.83%).

MOAT ETF Facts: Launch Date, Issuer, Fee, Assets, And Strategy

MOAT is VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. Issuer: VanEck. Exchange: Cboe BZX / BATS. Inception: April 25, 2012. Expense ratio: 0.46%. AUM: About $11.5B to $11.8B in May 2026 snapshots. Mandate or tracked index: Tracks the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index, which selects U.S. companies Morningstar views as having durable competitive advantages and attractive valuations.

MOAT Top Holdings And Concentration

Holdings snapshot: May 5, 2026. MOAT has 58 holdings. The top 10 positions account for 27.93%, so investors should read the fund through its largest holdings first rather than assuming every ETF is equally diversified.

• NXPI - NXP Semiconductors: 3.48%
• MDLZ - Mondelez International: 2.85%
• ABNB - Airbnb: 2.83%
• MAS - Masco: 2.81%
• FTNT - Fortinet: 2.79%
• NVDA - NVIDIA: 2.78%
• BMY - Bristol-Myers Squibb: 2.68%
• STZ - Constellation Brands: 2.64%
• KVUE - Kenvue: 2.59%
• LPLA - LPL Financial: 2.48%

MOAT Sector And Industry Exposure

MOAT exposure summary: U.S. companies with Morningstar wide-moat ratings across semiconductors, consumer staples, travel platforms, building products, cybersecurity, healthcare and financial services.. These exposures explain what investors actually own after buying the ETF. A broad fund is usually driven by sector weights and mega-cap leadership; a sector or thematic fund is driven by the industry cycle; a bond or alternative asset fund is driven by macro variables rather than company earnings.

• Semiconductors and technology: Meaningful. NXP, Fortinet, NVIDIA and Microsoft show the quality-growth side of the fund.
• Consumer staples and brands: Meaningful. Mondelez, Constellation, Brown-Forman, Kenvue and Clorox add brand and pricing-power exposure.
• Healthcare: Meaningful. Bristol-Myers, Zoetis, Zimmer Biomet, Danaher and GE HealthCare diversify the cycle.
• Equal-weight influence: Top names around 2% to 3.5%. MOAT is less top-heavy than VOO because positions are closer to equal weight.

MOAT Fees, Liquidity, And Product Structure

MOAT trades on Cboe BZX / BATS. The stated expense ratio is 0.46%, and current AUM is About $11.5B to $11.8B in May 2026 snapshots. Lower fees matter most for long holding periods, while AUM and trading depth matter when investors place larger orders or need reliable execution during volatile sessions.

MOAT Return Drivers: What Has To Go Right

The return drivers for MOAT are factor performance, valuation spreads, rebalancing discipline, earnings quality, and market leadership. That matters because two ETFs can both look diversified but respond to very different conditions. For MOAT, investors should compare price performance with the fund's dominant exposure, the largest holdings, and the macro factor behind the category.

MOAT Current Market Theme

MOAT is not a pure value ETF and not a pure quality ETF. It is a rules-based way to buy businesses that Morningstar believes have durable competitive advantages when their valuation looks attractive relative to fair value.

When MOAT Tends To Work

MOAT tends to work when investors reward quality cash flows, pricing power and valuation discipline, especially after speculative growth has become crowded.

MOAT Portfolio Role: Core Holding Or Satellite Position?

Quality-value satellite or complement to a broad S&P 500 fund for investors who want less mega-cap concentration and more emphasis on competitive advantage. In practical portfolio terms, MOAT should be sized according to whether it is replacing broad market exposure, adding a factor tilt, expressing a sector view, or hedging a macro risk. The more concentrated the fund, the less it should be treated as a complete portfolio by itself.

MOAT Key Risks Investors Should Watch

The main risks are specific enough to check before buying, not generic ETF fine print.

• Market risk: MOAT can fall with its asset class even when the fund structure works as designed.
• Concentration risk: top-10 weight is 27.93%, which is moderate for an ETF in this category.
• Exposure risk: the main exposure is U.S. companies with Morningstar wide-moat ratings across semiconductors, consumer staples, travel platforms, building products, cybersecurity, healthcare and financial services.
• Fee and trading risk: expense ratio is 0.46%; investors should still check spread, volume, and premium/discount before large orders.
• Thesis risk: The fund depends on Morningstar's moat and valuation model. It can lag in narrow mega-cap rallies, and reconstitution can move the portfolio into unloved sectors before market sentiment improves.

Who MOAT Is Suitable For

MOAT can be useful, but the right investor depends on time horizon, existing overlap, and drawdown tolerance.

• More suitable for investors who need a factor tilt that complements a broad index.
• More suitable for investors who understand that MOAT's top holdings and sector exposures can dominate short-term returns.
• Less suitable for investors who need stable cash income unless the fund's underlying asset class is explicitly income-oriented.
• Less suitable for investors already heavily exposed to the same largest holdings or same macro factor.

MOAT What To Monitor Next

MOAT should be reviewed after new holdings files, major market moves, or category-specific catalysts. The most important checks are:

• Quarterly reconstitution and which companies enter or leave the index.
• Whether valuation spreads favor quality value over pure growth.
• Sector drift after rebalances.
• Relative performance versus VOO and equal-weight S&P 500 ETFs.

MOAT Action Reference

A useful ETF article should end with a decision framework. For MOAT, the practical read is:

• Core-index investor: use as a satellite rather than a replacement for broad diversification.
• Theme investor: check whether the latest holdings still match the investment thesis.
• Risk-control investor: cap position size because sector/factor ETFs can underperform for long stretches.

MOAT Bottom Line

MOAT is not just a fund name. It is a package of exposures: VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF; issuer VanEck; fee 0.46%; AUM About $11.5B to $11.8B in May 2026 snapshots; 58 holdings; top-10 weight 27.93%; holdings date May 5, 2026. The investment case is strongest when the fund's largest holdings, main exposure, and category-level return drivers all point in the same direction.

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