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Should iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 03/29/2011.

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $10.14 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.

Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.46%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Energy sector--about 23.40% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM - Free Report) accounts for about 8.15% of total assets, followed by Chevron Corp (CVX - Free Report) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 51.06% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

HDV seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index before fees and expenses. The Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index offers exposure to high quality U.S. domiciled companies that have had strong financial health and an ability to sustain above average dividend payouts.

The ETF return is roughly 5.24% so far this year and is up about 5.87% in the last one year (as of 04/16/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $93.77 and $110.21.

The ETF has a beta of 0.81 and standard deviation of 13.45% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 82 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Core High 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, HDV 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 $53.58 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $110.86 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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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