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Is WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Making its debut on 06/16/2006, smart beta exchange traded fund WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $1.94 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, DES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index measuring the performance of the small-capitalization segment of the US dividend-paying market.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.38%.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.74%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
DES's heaviest allocation is in the Financials sector, which is about 26.10% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Discretionary and Industrials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Organon & Co (OGN - Free Report) accounts for about 0.98% of the fund's total assets, followed by Tfs Financial Corp (TFSL - Free Report) and Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.15% of DES's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -2.28% so far this year and is up about 6.14% in the last one year (as of 01/26/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $26.55 and $32.72.
The ETF has a beta of 1.12 and standard deviation of 19.88% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 606 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) tracks Russell 2000 Value Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $12.01 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $26.67 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.07%.
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 - Small 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 WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Making its debut on 06/16/2006, smart beta exchange traded fund WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $1.94 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, DES seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index measuring the performance of the small-capitalization segment of the US dividend-paying market.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.38%.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.74%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
DES's heaviest allocation is in the Financials sector, which is about 26.10% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Discretionary and Industrials round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Organon & Co (OGN - Free Report) accounts for about 0.98% of the fund's total assets, followed by Tfs Financial Corp (TFSL - Free Report) and Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.15% of DES's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -2.28% so far this year and is up about 6.14% in the last one year (as of 01/26/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $26.55 and $32.72.
The ETF has a beta of 1.12 and standard deviation of 19.88% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 606 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN - Free Report) tracks Russell 2000 Value Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $12.01 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $26.67 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.07%.
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 - Small 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.