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Is WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 05/22/2013.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
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.
While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
DGRW is managed by Wisdomtree, and this fund has amassed over $16 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. DGRW, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index is a fundamentally weighted index that consists of dividend-paying stocks with growth characteristics.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.28% for DGRW, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.50%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Us Dollaraccounts for about 100% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 135.11% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF has gained about 5.88% so far, and is up roughly 7.86% over the last 12 months (as of 07/15/2025). DGRW has traded between $71.28 and $85.66 in this past 52-week period.
DGRW has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 14.33% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 304 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has $32.45 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $92.94 billion. DGRO has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VIG changes 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 Style Box - Large 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. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market, the WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 05/22/2013.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
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.
While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
DGRW is managed by Wisdomtree, and this fund has amassed over $16 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. DGRW, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index.
The WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index is a fundamentally weighted index that consists of dividend-paying stocks with growth characteristics.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.28% for DGRW, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.50%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Us Dollaraccounts for about 100% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 135.11% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF has gained about 5.88% so far, and is up roughly 7.86% over the last 12 months (as of 07/15/2025). DGRW has traded between $71.28 and $85.66 in this past 52-week period.
DGRW has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 14.33% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 304 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has $32.45 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $92.94 billion. DGRO has an expense ratio of 0.08% and VIG changes 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 Style Box - Large 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.