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Should Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD) 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 Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 10/18/2012.

The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $3.21 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile 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. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

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 counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.30%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.34%.

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 to the Real Estate sector--about 18.60% of the portfolio. Utilities and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, At&t Inc (T - Free Report) accounts for about 3.23% of total assets, followed by Altria Group Inc (MO - Free Report) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 26.94% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

SPHD seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility High Dividend Index before fees and expenses. 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.

The ETF has lost about -6.43% so far this year and is down about -3.57% in the last one year (as of 06/26/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $39.01 and $47.13.

The ETF has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 17.04% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, SPHD is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

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 $49.77 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $97.12 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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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