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Is WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN - Free Report) debuted on 06/16/2006, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large 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.

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

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $3.37 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. DLN seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index before fees and expenses.

The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. dividend-paying market.

Cost & Other Expenses

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.28%.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.

DLN's heaviest allocation is in the Healthcare sector, which is about 16.50% of the portfolio. Its Information Technology and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

When you look at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) accounts for about 4.42% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 28.73% of DLN's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -1.79% and is up roughly 17.62% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 03/21/2022), respectively. DLN has traded between $56.20 and $66.73 during this last 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.93 and standard deviation of 22.20% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 300 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $58.44 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $101.07 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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 - Large 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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