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Is iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) was launched on 06/10/2014, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
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.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
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 managed by Blackrock. DGRO has been able to amass assets over $34.03 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index.
The Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index is composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for DGRO are 0.08%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.10%.
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 20.3% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 3.23% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).
DGRO's top 10 holdings account for about 27.77% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added about 10.8% so far this year and is up roughly 12.61% in the last one year (as of 09/11/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $55.22 and $67.33
The fund has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 13.59% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DGRO a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 405 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) tracks WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF has $16.41 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $97.34 billion. DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28% 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 iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) was launched on 06/10/2014, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
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.
If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.
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 managed by Blackrock. DGRO has been able to amass assets over $34.03 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index.
The Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index is composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for DGRO are 0.08%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.10%.
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 20.3% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 3.23% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).
DGRO's top 10 holdings account for about 27.77% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added about 10.8% so far this year and is up roughly 12.61% in the last one year (as of 09/11/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $55.22 and $67.33
The fund has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 13.59% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DGRO a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 405 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) tracks WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF has $16.41 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $97.34 billion. DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28% 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.