Launched on 03/03/2016, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI Quick QuoteVIGI - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the World 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.

A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.

On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

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

The fund is managed by Vanguard. VIGI has been able to amass assets over $4.04 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the World ETFs. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ International Dividend Achievers Select Index before fees and expenses.

The S&P Global Ex-U.S. Dividend Growers Index focuses on high quality companies located in developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States, that have both the ability and the commitment to grow their dividends over time.

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.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 7.42%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Looking at individual holdings, Nestle Sa (NESN) accounts for about 4.07% of total assets, followed by Roche Holding Ag (ROG Quick QuoteROG - Free Report) and Novartis Ag .

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -5.52% so far this year and it's up approximately 1.13% in the last one year (as of 02/17/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $78.42 and $93.17.

VIGI has a beta of 0.77 and standard deviation of 19.50% for the trailing three-year period. With about 368 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS Quick QuoteVXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA Quick QuoteVEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $53.81 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $109.45 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VEA charges 0.05%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the World 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.