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 First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF (FXG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Making its debut on 05/08/2007, smart beta exchange traded fund First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF (FXG - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Consumer Staples ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
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.
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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other 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
Because the fund has amassed over $555.29 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Consumer Staples ETFs. FXG is managed by First Trust Advisors. FXG, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Consumer Staples Index.
The StrataQuant Consumer Staples Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
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 0.63%.
FXG's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.96%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Representing 91.90% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Consumer Staples sector.
Taking into account individual holdings, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (LW - Free Report) accounts for about 4.51% of the fund's total assets, followed by Darling Ingredients Inc. (DAR - Free Report) and Bunge Limited (BG - Free Report) .
FXG's top 10 holdings account for about 40.5% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF has lost about -7.40% so far, and is down about -1.70% over the last 12 months (as of 10/16/2023). FXG has traded between $57.04 and $66.13 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.67 and standard deviation of 14.16% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 41 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Consumer Staples ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP - Free Report) tracks Consumer Staples Select Sector Index. Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF has $6.36 billion in assets, Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF has $15.83 billion. VDC has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLP charges 0.10%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Consumer Staples 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 First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF (FXG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Making its debut on 05/08/2007, smart beta exchange traded fund First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF (FXG - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Consumer Staples ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
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.
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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other 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
Because the fund has amassed over $555.29 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Consumer Staples ETFs. FXG is managed by First Trust Advisors. FXG, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Consumer Staples Index.
The StrataQuant Consumer Staples Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
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 0.63%.
FXG's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.96%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Representing 91.90% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Consumer Staples sector.
Taking into account individual holdings, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (LW - Free Report) accounts for about 4.51% of the fund's total assets, followed by Darling Ingredients Inc. (DAR - Free Report) and Bunge Limited (BG - Free Report) .
FXG's top 10 holdings account for about 40.5% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF has lost about -7.40% so far, and is down about -1.70% over the last 12 months (as of 10/16/2023). FXG has traded between $57.04 and $66.13 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.67 and standard deviation of 14.16% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 41 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Consumer Staples ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP - Free Report) tracks Consumer Staples Select Sector Index. Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF has $6.36 billion in assets, Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF has $15.83 billion. VDC has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLP charges 0.10%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Consumer Staples 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.