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Is ProShares S&P Technology Dividend Aristocrats ETF (TDV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Making its debut on 11/05/2019, smart beta exchange traded fund ProShares S&P Technology Dividend Aristocrats ETF (TDV - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.

However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.

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

The fund is sponsored by Proshares. It has amassed assets over $200.64 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Technology ETFs. TDV, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P TECHNOLOGY DIVIDEND ARISTOCRATS INDX.

The S&P Technology Dividend Aristocrats Index targets companies from information technology, internet and direct marketing retail, interactive home entertainment, and interactive media and services segments of the economy.

Cost & Other Expenses

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.45%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.30%.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, TDV return is roughly 21.29%, and it's up approximately 16.92% in the last one year (as of 07/24/2023). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $49.99 and $67.53.

TDV has a beta of 1.05 and standard deviation of 20.78% for the trailing three-year period. With about 40 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

ProShares S&P Technology Dividend Aristocrats ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG - Free Report) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. IShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has $24.51 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $70.83 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 Technology 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.

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