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Should SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/13/1998.

The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $27.60 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. While value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.16%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.98%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 20.20% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Unitedhealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) accounts for about 10.11% of total assets, followed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS - Free Report) and Home Depot Inc. (HD - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 54.94% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

DIA seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average before fees and expenses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is composed of thirty blue-chip U.S. stocks.

The ETF has added roughly 0.27% so far this year and was up about 4.37% in the last one year (as of 05/17/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $287.30 and $346.15.

The ETF has a beta of 0.94 and standard deviation of 17.10% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 31 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, DIA is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $48.51 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $98.76 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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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