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Is WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES - Free Report) was launched on 06/16/2006, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value 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.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
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.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Wisdomtree, DES has amassed assets over $1.84 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, DES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index measuring the performance of the small-capitalization segment of the US 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 0.38% for DES, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.08%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
For DES, it has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector --about 21.60% of the portfolio --while Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Epr Properties (EPR - Free Report) accounts for about 0.81% of total assets, followed by Cogent Communications Hldgs (CCOI - Free Report) and Arch Resources Inc (ARCH - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 6.89% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -0.04% so far this year and is down about -6.81% in the last one year (as of 04/17/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $25.74 and $32.14.
The ETF has a beta of 1.10 and standard deviation of 24.29% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 631 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) tracks Russell 2000 Value Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $11.19 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $23.65 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VBR charges 0.07%.
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 - Small 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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Is WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES - Free Report) was launched on 06/16/2006, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value 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.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
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.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Wisdomtree, DES has amassed assets over $1.84 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, DES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index measuring the performance of the small-capitalization segment of the US 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 0.38% for DES, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.08%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
For DES, it has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector --about 21.60% of the portfolio --while Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Epr Properties (EPR - Free Report) accounts for about 0.81% of total assets, followed by Cogent Communications Hldgs (CCOI - Free Report) and Arch Resources Inc (ARCH - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 6.89% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -0.04% so far this year and is down about -6.81% in the last one year (as of 04/17/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $25.74 and $32.14.
The ETF has a beta of 1.10 and standard deviation of 24.29% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 631 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) tracks Russell 2000 Value Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $11.19 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $23.65 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VBR charges 0.07%.
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 - Small 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.