Is First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) was launched on 01/07/2014, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value 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.Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.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.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.This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.Fund Sponsor & IndexThe fund is managed by First Trust Advisors, and has been able to amass over $12.17 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. RDVY, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Rising Dividend Achievers Index.The NASDAQ US Rising Dividend Achievers Index is designed to provide access to a diversified portfolio of companies with a history of paying dividends.Cost & Other ExpensesFor 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.With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.49%.The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.72%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector - about 42.70% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD) accounts for about 2.15% of total assets, followed by Cf Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF) and Accenture Plc (ACN).RDVY's top 10 holdings account for about 20.85% of its total assets under management.Performance and RiskSo far this year, RDVY has added about 15.88%, and is up about 37.58% in the last one year (as of 10/28/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $43.87 and $60.79.The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 19.61% 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.AlternativesFirst Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $62.90 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $127.92 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.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 Value.Bottom LineTo 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.Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY): ETF Research Reports Accenture PLC (ACN): Free Stock Analysis Report Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD): Free Stock Analysis Report CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF): Free Stock Analysis Report Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): ETF Research ReportsTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks