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Should First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF (EDOW) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF (EDOW - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 08/08/2017.

The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $234.32 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Blend

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.

Costs

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.50%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.85%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 20.80% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Caterpillar Inc. (CAT - Free Report) accounts for about 4.05% of total assets, followed by American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) and The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 37.43% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

EDOW seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Equal Weight Index before fees and expenses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Equal Weight Index is an equally weighted index designed to be a price neutral version of the price-weighted DJIA.

The ETF return is roughly 4.62% so far this year and was up about 18.16% in the last one year (as of 05/15/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $28.08 and $34.44.

The ETF has a beta of 0.92 and standard deviation of 14.32% for the trailing three-year period. With about 31 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight 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, EDOW is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $457.19 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $517.63 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.

Bottom-Line

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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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