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Should WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN - Free Report) was launched on 06/16/2006, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $3.76 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

Value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios. They also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.28%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.40%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer a 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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 19.60% of the portfolio. Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 3.59% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) and Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 26.62% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

DLN seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. dividend-paying market.

The ETF has added roughly 1.28% so far this year and was up about 8.17% in the last one year (as of 02/01/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $58.89 and $67.92.

The ETF has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 14.02% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 301 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, DLN is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $52.23 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $107.03 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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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