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Is First Trust Mid Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF (FNK) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The First Trust Mid Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF (FNK - Free Report) made its debut on 04/19/2011, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value 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.

Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

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.

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

FNK is managed by First Trust Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $262.69 million, which makes it one of the smaller ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Mid Cap Value Index before fees and expenses.

The NASDAQ AlphaDEX Mid Cap Value Index is an enhanced index which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology to select stocks from the NASDAQ US 600 Mid Cap Value Index.

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 0.70% for FNK, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.45%.

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.

Representing 22.90% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Consumer Discretionary sector; Financials and Industrials round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Amkor Technology, Inc. (AMKR - Free Report) accounts for about 0.89% of the fund's total assets, followed by Thor Industries, Inc. (THO - Free Report) and Lci Industries (LCII - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.01% of FNK's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the First Trust Mid Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF return is roughly 14.29% so far, and was up about 8.66% over the last 12 months (as of 02/08/2023). FNK has traded between $38.16 and $50.05 in this past 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 1.29 and standard deviation of 34.20% for the trailing three-year period, which makes FNK a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 226 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

First Trust Mid Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) tracks Russell MidCap Value Index and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Value Index. IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $13.72 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $17.19 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 0.07%.

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 - Mid 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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