Designed to provide broad exposure to the World ETFs category of the market, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI Quick QuoteVIGI - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 03/03/2016.

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.

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

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.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Vanguard, VIGI has amassed assets over $4.99 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the World ETFs. VIGI seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ International Dividend Achievers Select Index before fees and expenses.

The S&P Global Ex-U.S. Dividend Growers Index focuses on high quality companies located in developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States, that have both the ability and the commitment to grow their dividends over time.

Cost & Other Expenses

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.15%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

VIGI's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.15%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Taking into account individual holdings, Novo Nordisk A/s (NOVO) accounts for about 5.73% of the fund's total assets, followed by Novartis Ag and Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, VIGI return is roughly 7.25%, and it's up approximately 9.27% in the last one year (as of 07/11/2023). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $61.33 and $76.54.

The ETF has a beta of 0.77 and standard deviation of 15.54% for the trailing three-year period. With about 309 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS Quick QuoteVXUS - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA Quick QuoteVEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $56.56 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $111.99 billion. VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.07% and VEA charges 0.05%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the World ETFs.

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.