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Is SPDR NYSE Technology ETF (XNTK) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The SPDR NYSE Technology ETF (XNTK - Free Report) made its debut on 09/25/2000, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.

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.

However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: 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.

While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Because the fund has amassed over $409.93 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Technology ETFs. XNTK is managed by State Street Global Advisors. XNTK, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the NYSE Technology Index.

The NYSE Technology Index is composed of 35 leading U.S.-listed technology-related companies.

Cost & Other Expenses

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for XNTK, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.62%.

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.

Representing 70.50% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM - Free Report) accounts for about 5.06% of the fund's total assets, followed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Sponsored Adr (BABA - Free Report) and Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG - Free Report) .

XNTK's top 10 holdings account for about 37.38% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -34.21% so far this year and is down about -30.23% in the last one year (as of 07/25/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $100.82 and $175.28.

The ETF has a beta of 1.20 and standard deviation of 32.82% for the trailing three-year period. With about 37 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

SPDR NYSE Technology ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK - Free Report) tracks Technology Select Sector Index and the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index. Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF has $40.80 billion in assets, Vanguard Information Technology ETF has $43.29 billion. XLK has an expense ratio of 0.10% and VGT charges 0.10%.

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

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