IJR: The Smart Way To Play The 2026 Rotation

The Earnout Investor9 FollowersFollow5ShareSavePlay(16min)CommentsSummaryiShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF is rated a Buy, offering a 30% valuation discount to the S&P 500 with faster projected earnings growth.IJR’s profitability screen avoids the 43% unprofitable companies in IWM, providing cleaner exposure to the small-cap rotation thesis.Manufacturing expansion, industrial policy tailwinds, and rate sensitivity create a compelling multi-quarter setup for IJR, with significant potential upside.Key risks include inflation re-acceleration, refinancing pressures, tariff uncertainty, and sector concentration, but the risk-reward remains attractive at current levels.quantic69/iStock via Getty Images The iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) tracks the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. This index is made up of 600 small-cap U.S. equities but with key differences that make it unique and compelling for investors in thisThis article was written byThe Earnout Investor9 FollowersFollowMy writing is directed towards insights on stocks, ETFs, precious metals, and commodities, with a focus on overall investment strategy, asset allocation, and updates on changing market conditions in the USA and across the world. This is built to help anyone learn more about investment strategy and evaluating stocks, whether you are a passive index investor, a stock picker, or someone who just started making contributions to their 401k. My articles will have updates on the global market, analysis on the most important trends taking shape, and big ideas that are moving markets.All of my research is based on what I have learned in my career, from my time as a Morgan Stanley Investment Analyst, to managing money for clients as a Private Wealth Advisor, combined with the methods and philosophy that I use as an M&A Advisor, evaluating private businesses and their potential. I use fundamental analysis and base my investment philosophy finding Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP) - as made famous by the ultra-successful investor Peter Lynch, with a macro overlay. Simply put, I look for businesses with great earnings growth at reasonable valuations that have the potential to continue growing. I will be digging into the areas that I know the best - Financials, Aerospace/Defense, and Software, as well as growth sectors that will shape our future one way or another, like Technology (AI, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Fintech), Healthcare (Biotech, Digital Health), Energy Transition (Renewables, EVs, Green Manufacturing), and Advanced Industries (Robotics, Space, Advanced Manufacturing, Future Mobility), all driven by digital disruption, sustainability, and evolving demographics. My time at Morgan Stanley talking with interesting people across the globe, on different trading desks (New York, London, Paris, Mumbai, and São Paulo) has given me an endless interest in what is happening across the world, and how the overall trends driving our world forward can have a massive impact on investing. I hope that, if nothing else, I can help inspire someone to catch “the bug” of investing and the fascination with our dynamic, complex, and rapidly changing world.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of IJR either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.