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Is SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 11/08/2005.
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.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
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.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by State Street Global Advisors. SDY has been able to amass assets over $19.55 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index.
The S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index measures the performance of the highest dividend yielding S&P Composite 1500 Index constituents that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 20 consecutive years.
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.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for SDY, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.78%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Representing 22.20% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector; Consumer Staples and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, 3m Co W/d (MMM - Free Report) accounts for about 2.83% of total assets, followed by Intl Business Machines Corp (IBM - Free Report) and Abbvie Inc (ABBV - Free Report) .
SDY's top 10 holdings account for about 22.01% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -5.75% so far this year and is down about -1.07% in the last one year (as of 11/06/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $110.20 and $132.18.
SDY has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 16.09% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 124 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SPDR S&P Dividend 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 $47.79 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $97.84 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% 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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Is SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 11/08/2005.
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.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
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.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by State Street Global Advisors. SDY has been able to amass assets over $19.55 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index.
The S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index measures the performance of the highest dividend yielding S&P Composite 1500 Index constituents that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 20 consecutive years.
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.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for SDY, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.78%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Representing 22.20% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector; Consumer Staples and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, 3m Co W/d (MMM - Free Report) accounts for about 2.83% of total assets, followed by Intl Business Machines Corp (IBM - Free Report) and Abbvie Inc (ABBV - Free Report) .
SDY's top 10 holdings account for about 22.01% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -5.75% so far this year and is down about -1.07% in the last one year (as of 11/06/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $110.20 and $132.18.
SDY has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 16.09% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 124 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SPDR S&P Dividend 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 $47.79 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $97.84 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% 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.