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Is WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market, the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 06/16/2006.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
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 managed by Wisdomtree. DES has been able to amass assets over $1.82 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. DES, before fees and expenses, 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
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 cousins, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for DES are 0.38%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
DES's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.95%.
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.
Representing 26.70% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Sabra Health Care Reit Inc (SBRA - Free Report) accounts for about 1.30% of the fund's total assets, followed by Laclede Group Inc/the and Epr Properties (EPR - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 10.2% of DES's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -8.36% and was up about 4.01% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 06/16/2025), respectively. DES has traded between $28.02 and $37.69 during this last 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.98 and standard deviation of 20.44% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DES a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 584 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
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 $10.81 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $28.59 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?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market, the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 06/16/2006.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
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 managed by Wisdomtree. DES has been able to amass assets over $1.82 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Value. DES, before fees and expenses, 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
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 cousins, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for DES are 0.38%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
DES's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.95%.
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.
Representing 26.70% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Sabra Health Care Reit Inc (SBRA - Free Report) accounts for about 1.30% of the fund's total assets, followed by Laclede Group Inc/the and Epr Properties (EPR - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 10.2% of DES's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -8.36% and was up about 4.01% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 06/16/2025), respectively. DES has traded between $28.02 and $37.69 during this last 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.98 and standard deviation of 20.44% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DES a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 584 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
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 $10.81 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF has $28.59 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.