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Is Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Launched on 03/03/2016, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the World 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.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
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.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
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 $5.45 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the World ETFs. This particular fund 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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for VIGI, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.13%.
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.
When you look at individual holdings, Novartis Ag accounts for about 4.61% of the fund's total assets, followed by Novo Nordisk A/s (NOVO) and Nestle Sa (NESN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 34.5% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF has added about 9.11% so far, and is up roughly 9.04% over the last 12 months (as of 11/23/2023). VIGI has traded between $68.61 and $76.81 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.76 and standard deviation of 15.06% for the trailing three-year period. With about 327 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 - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $59.10 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $114.35 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.
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Is Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 03/03/2016, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the World 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.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
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.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
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 $5.45 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the World ETFs. This particular fund 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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for VIGI, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.13%.
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.
When you look at individual holdings, Novartis Ag accounts for about 4.61% of the fund's total assets, followed by Novo Nordisk A/s (NOVO) and Nestle Sa (NESN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 34.5% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF has added about 9.11% so far, and is up roughly 9.04% over the last 12 months (as of 11/23/2023). VIGI has traded between $68.61 and $76.81 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.76 and standard deviation of 15.06% for the trailing three-year period. With about 327 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 - Free Report) tracks FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA - Free Report) tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF has $59.10 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $114.35 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.