We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Is State Street SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (WDIV) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
The State Street 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?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
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
Because the fund has amassed over $243.75 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Global Large-Cap Value Equity ETF. WDIV is managed by State Street Investment Management. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats Index.
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
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain 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 4.32%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Looking at individual holdings, Telus Corp (T) accounts for about 1.82% of total assets, followed by Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) and Altria Group Inc (MO).
WDIV's top 10 holdings account for about 14.86% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, WDIV has gained about 1.04%, and is up about 21.45% in the last one year (as of 03/27/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $59.84 and $82.67.
The ETF has a beta of 0.55 and standard deviation of 11.60% for the trailing three-year period, making it a low risk choice in the space. With about 125 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
State Street 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 $535.52 million in assets, Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF has $3.19 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.
Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)
Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
Is State Street SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (WDIV) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The State Street 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?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
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
Because the fund has amassed over $243.75 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Global Large-Cap Value Equity ETF. WDIV is managed by State Street Investment Management. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats Index.
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
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain 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 4.32%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Looking at individual holdings, Telus Corp (T) accounts for about 1.82% of total assets, followed by Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) and Altria Group Inc (MO).
WDIV's top 10 holdings account for about 14.86% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, WDIV has gained about 1.04%, and is up about 21.45% in the last one year (as of 03/27/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $59.84 and $82.67.
The ETF has a beta of 0.55 and standard deviation of 11.60% for the trailing three-year period, making it a low risk choice in the space. With about 125 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
State Street 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 $535.52 million in assets, Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF has $3.19 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.