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Is Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF (DIV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Launched on 03/11/2013, the Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF (DIV - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - All 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.

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.

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

The fund is managed by Global X Management, and has been able to amass over $664.37 million, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Value. DIV, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the INDXX SuperDividend U.S. Low Volatility Index.

The INDXX SuperDividend US Low Volatility Index tracks the performance of 50 equally weighted common stocks, MLPs & REITs that rank among the highest dividend yielding equity securities in the US.

Cost & Other Expenses

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.45%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

DIV's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 5.53%.

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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Staples sector - about 23.20% of the portfolio. Energy and Real Estate round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Holly Energy Partners Lp accounts for about 2.69% of the fund's total assets, followed by Cubesmart (CUBE - Free Report) and Iron Mountain Inc (IRM - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 23.24% of DIV's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF return is roughly 22.37% so far this year and is up about 35.12% in the last one year (as of 10/08/2021). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $14.91 and $20.57.

The fund has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 26.91% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DIV a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

WBI Power Factor High Dividend ETF (WBIY - Free Report) tracks Solactive Power Factor High Dividend Index and the Global X SuperDividend ETF (SDIV - Free Report) tracks Solactive Global SuperDividend Index. WBI Power Factor High Dividend ETF has $64.74 million in assets, Global X SuperDividend ETF has $951.35 million. WBIY has an expense ratio of 0.70% and SDIV charges 0.59%.

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 - All 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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