Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market, the ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV Quick QuoteSMDV - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 02/03/2015.

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.

On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.

These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination 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

The fund is managed by Proshares. SMDV has been able to amass assets over $807.77 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Russell 2000 Dividend Growth Index.

The Russell 2000 Dividend Growth Index targets companies that are currently members of the Russell 2000 Index and have increased dividend payments each year for at least 10 years.

Cost & Other Expenses

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.40% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.64%.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -3.70% so far this year and is down about -0.82% in the last one year (as of 05/02/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $55.50 and $66.96.

The ETF has a beta of 0.78 and standard deviation of 22.01% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 97 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO Quick QuoteDGRO - Free Report) tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG Quick QuoteVIG - Free Report) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. IShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has $23.53 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $66.86 billion. DGRO has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VIG charges 0.06%.

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 - Small 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.