Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is WisdomTree International Equity ETF (DWM) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs category of the market, the WisdomTree International Equity ETF (DWM - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 06/16/2006.

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.

Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.

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.

This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.

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

Because the fund has amassed over $647.44 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. DWM is managed by Wisdomtree. DWM seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree International Equity Index before fees and expenses.

The WisdomTree International Equity Index is a fundamentally weighted Index that measures the performance of dividend-paying companies in the industrialized world, excluding Canada and the United States.

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.48% for DWM, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.75%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Taking into account individual holdings, Hsbc Holdings Plc (HSBA) accounts for about 1.67% of the fund's total assets, followed by Shell Plc-new (SHEL) and Intesa Sanpaolo Spa (ISP).

DWM's top 10 holdings account for about 11.32% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the WisdomTree International Equity ETF has added roughly 7.9% so far, and was up about 13.38% over the last 12 months (as of 10/15/2026). DWM has traded between $64.60 $77.18 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.67 and standard deviation of 14.00% for the trailing three-year period, making it a low risk choice in the space. With about 1408 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

WisdomTree International Equity ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) tracks MSCI EAFE Index and the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) tracks MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has $76.26 billion in assets, iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF has $188.71 billion. EFA has an expense ratio of 0.32% and IEFA changes 0.07%.

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

Published in