Is First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) was launched on 11/01/2017, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value 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.Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well 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.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.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 & IndexSDVY is managed by First Trust Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $7.90 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. SDVY seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index before fees and expenses.The NASDAQ US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index is composed of the securities of 100 small and mid-cap companies with a history of raising their dividends and exhibit the characteristics to continue to do so in the future.Cost & Other ExpensesSince cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.60% for this ETF, which makes it one of the most expensive products in the space.SDVY's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.44%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsEven though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.Representing 34% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL) accounts for about 1.32% of total assets, followed by East West Bancorp, Inc. (EWBC) and Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM).SDVY's top 10 holdings account for about 12.18% of its total assets under management.Performance and RiskThe ETF return is roughly 23.11% and is up about 38.46% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 12/02/2024), respectively. SDVY has traded between $30.12 and $40.33 during this last 52-week period.The fund has a beta of 1.16 and standard deviation of 22.10% for the trailing three-year period. With about 96 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesFirst Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) tracks Russell MidCap Value Index and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE) tracks CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Value Index. IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $14.39 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $18.92 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 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 Style Box - Mid 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 SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY): ETF Research Reports Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM): Free Stock Analysis Report East West Bancorp, Inc. (EWBC): Free Stock Analysis Report Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE): ETF Research Reports iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS): ETF Research Reports Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks