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Is iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE - Free Report) debuted on 02/23/2012, and offers broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

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.

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.

The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Blackrock, DVYE has amassed assets over $1.2 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. DVYE, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index.

The Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index measures the performance of the companies in emerging market countries that have provided relatively high dividend yields on a consistent basis over time.

Cost & Other Expenses

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for DVYE 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 4.89%.

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.

When you look at individual holdings, Petroleo Brasileiro Pref Sa (PETR4) accounts for about 4.15% of the fund's total assets, followed by Cia Vale Do Rio Doce Sh (VALE3) and Evergreen Marine Corp (taiwan) Ltd.

DVYE's top 10 holdings account for about 27.34% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has added roughly 10.35% so far, and is up roughly 19.05% over the last 12 months (as of 07/24/2026). DVYE has traded between $28.50 $35.77 in this past 52-week period.

DVYE has a beta of 0.50 and standard deviation of 15.78% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 131 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Emerging Market ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VWO) tracks FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index and the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index. Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund ETF Shares has $119.1 billion in assets, iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $151.62 billion. VWO has an expense ratio of 0.06% and IEMG changes 0.09%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Emerging Market ETFs

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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