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Is SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (WDIV) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (WDIV - Free Report) was launched on 05/29/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Global Large-Cap Value Equity 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.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
WDIV is managed by State Street Investment Management, and this fund has amassed over $230.57 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Global Large-Cap Value Equity ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats Index before fees and expenses.
The S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats Index measures the performance of high dividend-yield companies included in the S&P Global BMI that have followed a managed-dividends policy of increasing or stable dividends for at least ten consecutive years.
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 WDIV are 0.40%, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.26%.
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.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apa Group (APA) accounts for about 2.02% of the fund's total assets, followed by Altria Group Inc (MO) and Sino Land Co.
WDIV's top 10 holdings account for about 17.32% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 22.83% so far this year and was up about 18.69% in the last one year (as of 11/19/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $59.84 and $74.90
WDIV has a beta of 0.63 and standard deviation of 11.86% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a low risk choice in the space. With about 119 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Global Large-Cap Value Equity ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
State Street SPDR Global Dow ETF (DGT) tracks Global Dow Index and the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) tracks Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend Index. State Street SPDR Global Dow ETF has $468.37 million in assets, Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF has $2.57 billion. DGT has an expense ratio of 0.50% and GCOW changes 0.60%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Global Large-Cap Value Equity 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 SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (WDIV) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (WDIV - Free Report) was launched on 05/29/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Global Large-Cap Value Equity 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.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
WDIV is managed by State Street Investment Management, and this fund has amassed over $230.57 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Global Large-Cap Value Equity ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats Index before fees and expenses.
The S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats Index measures the performance of high dividend-yield companies included in the S&P Global BMI that have followed a managed-dividends policy of increasing or stable dividends for at least ten consecutive years.
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 WDIV are 0.40%, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.26%.
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.
Taking into account individual holdings, Apa Group (APA) accounts for about 2.02% of the fund's total assets, followed by Altria Group Inc (MO) and Sino Land Co.
WDIV's top 10 holdings account for about 17.32% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 22.83% so far this year and was up about 18.69% in the last one year (as of 11/19/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $59.84 and $74.90
WDIV has a beta of 0.63 and standard deviation of 11.86% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a low risk choice in the space. With about 119 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Global Large-Cap Value Equity ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
State Street SPDR Global Dow ETF (DGT) tracks Global Dow Index and the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) tracks Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend Index. State Street SPDR Global Dow ETF has $468.37 million in assets, Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF has $2.57 billion. DGT has an expense ratio of 0.50% and GCOW changes 0.60%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Global Large-Cap Value Equity 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.