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Is Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG - Free Report) debuted on 04/21/2006, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend 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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer 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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other 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 managed by Vanguard. VIG has been able to amass assets over $65.74 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Blend. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index.
The S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index consists of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time.
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 0.06% for VIG, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.95%.
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 in the Financials sector - about 19.70% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH - Free Report) accounts for about 4.08% of the fund's total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 14.54% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has added roughly 2.59% so far, and is down about -1.55% over the last 12 months (as of 04/12/2023). VIG has traded between $135.16 and $163.50 in this past 52-week period.
VIG has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 16.85% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 289 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
IShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (EFG - Free Report) tracks MSCI EAFE Growth Index and the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. IShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has $12.96 billion in assets, iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has $23.38 billion. EFG has an expense ratio of 0.36% and DGRO 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 Style Box - Large Cap Blend.
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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Is Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG - Free Report) debuted on 04/21/2006, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend 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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer 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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other 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 managed by Vanguard. VIG has been able to amass assets over $65.74 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Blend. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index.
The S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index consists of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time.
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 0.06% for VIG, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.95%.
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 in the Financials sector - about 19.70% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH - Free Report) accounts for about 4.08% of the fund's total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 14.54% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has added roughly 2.59% so far, and is down about -1.55% over the last 12 months (as of 04/12/2023). VIG has traded between $135.16 and $163.50 in this past 52-week period.
VIG has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 16.85% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 289 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
IShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (EFG - Free Report) tracks MSCI EAFE Growth Index and the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. IShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has $12.96 billion in assets, iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has $23.38 billion. EFG has an expense ratio of 0.36% and DGRO 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 Style Box - Large Cap Blend.
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.