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Should Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Launched on 12/28/2015, the Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Franklin Templeton Investments. It has amassed assets over $729.14 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.27%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.02%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Utilities sector--about 24% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Real Estate round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, At&t Inc (T - Free Report) accounts for about 2.88% of total assets, followed by Philip Morris Internation (PM - Free Report) and Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.43% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
LVHD seeks to match the performance of the QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index provides stable income through investment in stocks of profitable U.S. companies with relatively high dividend yields, lower price and earnings volatility.
The ETF has lost about -6.41% so far this year and it's up approximately 4.18% in the last one year (as of 09/22/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $35.76 and $41.12.
The ETF has a beta of 0.74 and standard deviation of 22.20% for the trailing three-year period. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, LVHD is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $49.92 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $94.62 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Should Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on 12/28/2015, the Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Franklin Templeton Investments. It has amassed assets over $729.14 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.27%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.02%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Utilities sector--about 24% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Real Estate round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, At&t Inc (T - Free Report) accounts for about 2.88% of total assets, followed by Philip Morris Internation (PM - Free Report) and Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.43% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
LVHD seeks to match the performance of the QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index provides stable income through investment in stocks of profitable U.S. companies with relatively high dividend yields, lower price and earnings volatility.
The ETF has lost about -6.41% so far this year and it's up approximately 4.18% in the last one year (as of 09/22/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $35.76 and $41.12.
The ETF has a beta of 0.74 and standard deviation of 22.20% for the trailing three-year period. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, LVHD is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $49.92 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $94.62 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.