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Is ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG - Free Report) debuted on 06/28/2013, and offers 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.
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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
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 sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $544.19 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. IDOG, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index.
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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for IDOG are 0.50%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 3.43%.
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, Equinor Asa (EQNR) accounts for about 2.28% of the fund's total assets, followed by Wh Group Ltd. and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. (WDS).
IDOG's top 10 holdings account for about 21.32% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, IDOG has added about 13.54%, and was up about 33.78% in the last one year (as of 06/01/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $33.03 and $43.91.
The ETF has a beta of 0.58 and standard deviation of 14.30% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (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 Index Fund ETF Shares has $19.38 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $24.51 billion. VYMI has an expense ratio of 0.07% 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?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG - Free Report) debuted on 06/28/2013, and offers 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.
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.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
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 sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $544.19 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. IDOG, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index.
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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for IDOG are 0.50%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 3.43%.
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, Equinor Asa (EQNR) accounts for about 2.28% of the fund's total assets, followed by Wh Group Ltd. and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. (WDS).
IDOG's top 10 holdings account for about 21.32% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, IDOG has added about 13.54%, and was up about 33.78% in the last one year (as of 06/01/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $33.03 and $43.91.
The ETF has a beta of 0.58 and standard deviation of 14.30% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (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 Index Fund ETF Shares has $19.38 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $24.51 billion. VYMI has an expense ratio of 0.07% 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.