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Should WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Launched on 06/16/2006, the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $3.18 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Value

Mid cap companies have market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. They usually have higher growth prospects than large cap companies and are less volatile than small cap companies. These types of companies, then, have a good balance of stability and growth potential.

Value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios. They also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Considering long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets; however, they are more likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

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.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.38%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.50%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 24.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Evergy Inc (EVRG - Free Report) accounts for about 1.51% of total assets, followed by Cardinal Health Inc (CAH - Free Report) and Continental Resources Inc/ok .

The top 10 holdings account for about 10.89% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

DON seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the mid-capitalization segment of the US dividend-paying market.

The ETF has lost about -5.01% so far this year and is down about -3.87% in the last one year (as of 11/07/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $37.67 and $45.36.

The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 29.34% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 337 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, DON is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell MidCap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) and the Vanguard MidCap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell MidCap Value ETF has $12.81 billion in assets, Vanguard MidCap Value ETF has $15.57 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 0.07%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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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