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Is SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD - Free Report) made its debut on 10/21/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides 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.

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.

This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.

Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $6.46 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 High Dividend Index before fees and expenses.

The S&P 500 High Dividend Index is designed to measure the performance of the top 80 dividend-paying securities listed on the S&P 500 Index, based on dividend yield.

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 SPYD are 0.07%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 3.56%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

SPYD's heaviest allocation is in the Financials sector, which is about 17.50% of the portfolio. Its Utilities and Real Estate round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Comerica Incorporated (CMA - Free Report) accounts for about 1.58% of total assets, followed by Baker Hughes Company Class A (BKR - Free Report) and Regions Financial Corporation (RF - Free Report) .

SPYD's top 10 holdings account for about 15.02% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, SPYD return is roughly 5.22%, and was up about 18.22% in the last one year (as of 04/01/2022). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $38.21 and $44.47.

The ETF has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 28.56% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 81 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High 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 $57.90 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $101.39 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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