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Is Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 10/18/2012.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.

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

The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $3.51 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility High Dividend Index.

The S&P 500 Low Volatility High Dividend Index comprises of 50 securities traded on the S&P 500 Index that historically have provided high dividend yields and low volatility.

Cost & Other Expenses

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for SPHD are 0.30%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 4.12%.

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.

For SPHD, it has heaviest allocation in the Real Estate sector --about 18.20% of the portfolio --while Utilities and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, At&t Inc (T - Free Report) accounts for about 3.23% of the fund's total assets, followed by Altria Group Inc (MO - Free Report) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ - Free Report) .

SPHD's top 10 holdings account for about 26.94% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, SPHD has lost about -3.52%, and is down about -9.31% in the last one year (as of 04/26/2023). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $39.01 and $48.02.

The fund has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 18.94% for the trailing three-year period, which makes SPHD a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $49.87 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $101.57 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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 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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