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Is Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD - Free Report) was launched on 12/28/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.

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.

The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Franklin Templeton Investments, LVHD has amassed assets over $1.23 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index before fees and expenses.

The QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index provides stable income through investment in stocks of profitable U.S. companies with relatively high dividend yields, lower price and earnings volatility.

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.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.27%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

LVHD's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 3.38%.

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 LVHD, it has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector --about 26.50% of the portfolio --while Consumer Staples and Real Estate round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Philip Morris Internation (PM - Free Report) accounts for about 2.88% of total assets, followed by Cummins Inc (CMI - Free Report) and General Mills Inc (GIS - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 26.13% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF has lost about -2.40% so far, and is down about -1.85% over the last 12 months (as of 05/09/2023). LVHD has traded between $33.74 and $40.23 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.76 and standard deviation of 16.06% for the trailing three-year period. With about 98 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index 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 $49.53 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $100.67 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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