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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.

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.

Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Blackrock, DVYE has amassed assets over $1.19 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index before fees and expenses.

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

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.49%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

DVYE's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 5.10%.

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.

Taking into account individual holdings, Petroleo Brasileiro Pref Sa (PETR4) accounts for about 4.17% of the fund's total assets, followed by Evergreen Marine Corp (taiwan) Ltd and Cia Vale Do Rio Doce Sh (VALE3).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 28.43% of DVYE's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added about 13.8% and it's up approximately 21.47% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 09/25/2026), respectively. DVYE has traded between $28.63 and $36.24 during this last 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 0.50 and standard deviation of 15.64% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DVYE a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 134 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 $126.02 billion in assets, iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $161.41 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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