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Is WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Launched on 06/16/2006, the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value 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.

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.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

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

The fund is managed by Wisdomtree, and has been able to amass over $3.89 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. DON, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index.

The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the mid-capitalization segment of the US dividend-paying market.

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 0.38%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.34%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.

Representing 22.1% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

When you look at individual holdings, Apa Corp (APA) accounts for about 1.18% of the fund's total assets, followed by Viatris Inc (VTRS) and Best Buy Co Inc (BBY).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 10.57% of DON's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, DON has added roughly 8.11%, and is up roughly 14.65% in the last one year (as of 05/28/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $48.87 and $56.39.

DON has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 15.87% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 297 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) tracks Russell MidCap Value Index and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VOE) tracks CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Value Index. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $15.19 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares has $22.59 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE 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 - Mid 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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