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International Dividend ETF IHDG Hits $2 Billion in AUM: Here's Why

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Dividends are probably going to make a comeback this year, as talks of rate cuts from global central banks are rife. In the U.S., the fluctuating interest rates enhance the attractiveness of a consistent dividend-paying ETF.Falling inflation in the United States brightened hopes for rate cuts (worth about 75 bps) this year. International economies are not far behind.

Several other central banks like ECB may also follow the path of the Federal Reserve. In Asia, Japan has been practicing ultra-easy monetary policy and China has been slashing reserve requirement ratios. All these factors probably boosted the demand for dividend investing in the international arena, which is why WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund (IHDG - Free Report) has achieved a milestone by reaching $2 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM) for the first time.

IHDG in Focus

The underlying WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Index seeks to provide exposure to dividend-paying companies with growth characteristics in the developed world ex the United States and Canada while hedging exposure to fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies.

The fund holds about 335 stocks. No stock makes up more than 4.78% of the fund. The fund charges 58 bps in fees. United Kingdom (17.74%), Japan (14.83%), Switzerland (14.29%) and Netherlands (10.77%) have a double-digit exposure to the fund.

Consumer discretionary (20.13%), Healthcare (19.18%), Industrials (18.33%) and Information Technology (12.06%) hold the top four positions, when it comes to sectoral segregation.

Benefits of IHDG Investing

The fund is currency-hedged in nature. As the U.S. dollar ETF Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP - Free Report) has gained 1.7% this year (as of Jan 26, 2024), the fund IHDG’s currency-hedged nature has helped it to gain strength. And the most important part is the fund offers both characteristics – dividend payments as well as growth.

Most economies the fund is invested in are likely to see a decline in rates in the medium term. The latest Monetary Policy report of the United Kingdom says rates are expected to remain around 5.25% until autumn 2024 and then decline gradually to 4.25% by the end of 2026. Japan has loose monetary policy.

The Swiss National Bank kept its key policy rate unchanged at 1.75% for a second consecutive meeting in December 2023, in line with forecasts, saying inflationary pressure has decreased slightly. Notably, Swiss interest rate is pretty low as compared with several other developed and developing economies. While low interest rates boost stocks, dividend investing too outperform in a low-rate environment.


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