We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Is WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF (DGS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Making its debut on 10/30/2007, smart beta exchange traded fund WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF (DGS - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
DGS is managed by Wisdomtree, and this fund has amassed over $2.31 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. Before fees and expenses, DGS seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of primarily small cap stocks selected from the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Dividend Index. Companies included in the Index fall within the bottom 10% of total market capitalization of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Dividend Index.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.58%.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 6.16%.
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.
When you look at individual holdings, Transmissora Alianca De Energia Eletrica Sa accounts for about 1.82% of the fund's total assets, followed by African Rainbow Minerals Ltd (ARI - Free Report) and Synnex Technology International Corp.
The top 10 holdings account for about 7.63% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF has lost about -15.76% so far, and is down about -13.87% over the last 12 months (as of 11/11/2022). DGS has traded between $39.34 and $54.52 in this past 52-week period.
DGS has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 21.95% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1005 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Emerging Market ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG - Free Report) tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO - Free Report) tracks FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index. IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $61.68 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has $65.68 billion. IEMG has an expense ratio of 0.09% and VWO charges 0.08%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Emerging Market ETFs.
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.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Is WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF (DGS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Making its debut on 10/30/2007, smart beta exchange traded fund WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF (DGS - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
DGS is managed by Wisdomtree, and this fund has amassed over $2.31 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. Before fees and expenses, DGS seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of primarily small cap stocks selected from the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Dividend Index. Companies included in the Index fall within the bottom 10% of total market capitalization of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Dividend Index.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.58%.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 6.16%.
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.
When you look at individual holdings, Transmissora Alianca De Energia Eletrica Sa accounts for about 1.82% of the fund's total assets, followed by African Rainbow Minerals Ltd (ARI - Free Report) and Synnex Technology International Corp.
The top 10 holdings account for about 7.63% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF has lost about -15.76% so far, and is down about -13.87% over the last 12 months (as of 11/11/2022). DGS has traded between $39.34 and $54.52 in this past 52-week period.
DGS has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 21.95% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 1005 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Emerging Market ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG - Free Report) tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO - Free Report) tracks FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index. IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $61.68 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has $65.68 billion. IEMG has an expense ratio of 0.09% and VWO charges 0.08%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Emerging Market ETFs.
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.