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Is Xtrackers Russell US Multifactor ETF (DEUS) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Making its debut on 11/24/2015, smart beta exchange traded fund Xtrackers Russell US Multifactor ETF (DEUS - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend 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.

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.

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.

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.

Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is managed by Deutsche Bank Ag, and has been able to amass over $306.85 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Blend. Before fees and expenses, DEUS seeks to match the performance of the Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index.

The Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index provides exposure to domestic equities based on five factors Quality, Value, Momentum, Low Volatility and Size.

Cost & Other Expenses

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.

Annual operating expenses for DEUS are 0.17%, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.

DEUS's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.36%.

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.

Taking into account individual holdings, Allstate Corp (ALL) accounts for about 0.91% of the fund's total assets, followed by Archer-daniels-midland Co (ADM) and Mckesson Corp (MCK).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 6.5% of DEUS's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added roughly 17.82% and it's up approximately 19.9% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 11/10/2026), respectively. DEUS has traded between $56.19 and $68.72 during this last 52-week period.

DEUS has a beta of 0.85 and standard deviation of 12.87% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 865 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

Xtrackers Russell US Multifactor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) tracks S&P 500 Index and the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF Shares (VOO) tracks S&P 500 Index. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $874.3 billion in assets, Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF Shares has $1044.32 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VOO changes 0.03%.

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 - Large Cap Blend

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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