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Is ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG - Free Report) was launched on 06/28/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF category of the market.
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.
Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.
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.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of 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 sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $355.3 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. IDOG seeks to match the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index before fees and expenses.
The S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index identifies five high yielding securities, based on regular cash dividends, in each of the ten Global Industry Classification Standard sectors and is rebalanced quarterly.
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.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.50% for IDOG, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
IDOG's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.19%.
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, Neste Oyj (NESTE) accounts for about 2.41% of the fund's total assets, followed by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) and Enel Spa (ENEL).
The top 10 holdings account for about 22.48% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF has added roughly 20.86% so far, and is up about 15.87% over the last 12 months (as of 07/21/2025). IDOG has traded between $28.25 and $34.63 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.71 and standard deviation of 15.74% for the trailing three-year period, which makes IDOG a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI) tracks FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index and the Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF) tracks Russell RAFI Developed ex US Large Co. Index (Net). Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF has $10.93 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $16.39 billion. VYMI has an expense ratio of 0.17% and FNDF changes 0.25%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Value ETF
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 ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG - Free Report) was launched on 06/28/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF category of the market.
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.
Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.
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.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of 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 sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $355.3 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. IDOG seeks to match the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index before fees and expenses.
The S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index identifies five high yielding securities, based on regular cash dividends, in each of the ten Global Industry Classification Standard sectors and is rebalanced quarterly.
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.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.50% for IDOG, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
IDOG's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.19%.
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, Neste Oyj (NESTE) accounts for about 2.41% of the fund's total assets, followed by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) and Enel Spa (ENEL).
The top 10 holdings account for about 22.48% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF has added roughly 20.86% so far, and is up about 15.87% over the last 12 months (as of 07/21/2025). IDOG has traded between $28.25 and $34.63 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.71 and standard deviation of 15.74% for the trailing three-year period, which makes IDOG a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI) tracks FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index and the Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF) tracks Russell RAFI Developed ex US Large Co. Index (Net). Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF has $10.93 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $16.39 billion. VYMI has an expense ratio of 0.17% and FNDF changes 0.25%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Value ETF
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.