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Is ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Launched on 06/28/2013, the ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF 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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
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.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
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
The fund is managed by Alps. IDOG has been able to amass assets over $462.87 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
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.50%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.10%.
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, Banca Monte Dei Paschi Di Siena Spa (BMPS) accounts for about 2.24% of the fund's total assets, followed by Orlen Sa (PKN) and Santander Bank Polska Sa (SPL).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 21.09% of IDOG's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 3.95% and is up roughly 39.56% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 01/27/2026), respectively. IDOG has traded between $28.28 and $40.09 during this last 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.61 and standard deviation of 14.14% 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 a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could 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 $15.64 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $20.84 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?
Launched on 06/28/2013, the ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF 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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
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.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
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
The fund is managed by Alps. IDOG has been able to amass assets over $462.87 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
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.50%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.10%.
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, Banca Monte Dei Paschi Di Siena Spa (BMPS) accounts for about 2.24% of the fund's total assets, followed by Orlen Sa (PKN) and Santander Bank Polska Sa (SPL).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 21.09% of IDOG's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 3.95% and is up roughly 39.56% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 01/27/2026), respectively. IDOG has traded between $28.28 and $40.09 during this last 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.61 and standard deviation of 14.14% 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 a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could 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 $15.64 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $20.84 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.