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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?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

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.

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.

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.

The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Because the fund has amassed over $6.49 billion, this makes it one of the largest ETFs in the World ETFs. VIGI is managed by Vanguard. Before fees and expenses, VIGI seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ International Dividend Achievers Select Index.

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

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

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.15% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.02%.

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.

Taking into account individual holdings, Novo Nordisk A/s (NOVOB) accounts for about 5.43% of the fund's total assets, followed by Sap Se (SAP - Free Report) and Novartis Ag .

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF has added about 2.98% so far, and is up roughly 16.43% over the last 12 months (as of 03/26/2024). VIGI has traded between $68.61 and $82.79 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.78 and standard deviation of 14.66% for the trailing three-year period. With about 322 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 $67.49 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF has $129.58 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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