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Is WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN - Free Report) made its debut on 06/16/2006, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is managed by Wisdomtree, and has been able to amass over $3.29 billion, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index.

The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. dividend-paying market.

Cost & Other Expenses

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.28% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.72%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.

DLN's heaviest allocation is in the Healthcare sector, which is about 17.40% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Staples and Information Technology round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) accounts for about 4.22% of total assets, followed by Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM - Free Report) and Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 26.94% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF has lost about -13.42% so far, and is down about -5.38% over the last 12 months (as of 09/27/2022). DLN has traded between $56.25 and $66.91 in this past 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 23.06% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DLN a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 299 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $47.62 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $90.57 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Value.

Bottom Line

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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