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Is iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE - Free Report) was launched on 02/23/2012, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.

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.

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.

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.

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

Because the fund has amassed over $579.31 million, this makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. DVYE is managed by Blackrock. DVYE, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index.

The Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index measures the performance of the companies in emerging market countries that have provided relatively high dividend yields on a consistent basis 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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.49% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 8.14%.

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.

When you look at individual holdings, Unipar Carbocloro Sa Pref B (UNIP6) accounts for about 1.85% of the fund's total assets, followed by Exxaro Resources Ltd (EXX) and Colbun Machicura Sa (COLBUN).

The top 10 holdings account for about 16.72% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -31.45% and is down about -30.29% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 09/05/2022), respectively. DVYE has traded between $24.62 and $40.57 during this last 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.77 and standard deviation of 23.51% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 139 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Emerging Market ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG - Free Report) tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO - Free Report) tracks FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index. IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $63.90 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has $69.54 billion. IEMG has an expense ratio of 0.09% and VWO charges 0.08%.

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