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

A smart beta exchange traded fund, the First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) debuted on 11/01/2017, and offers 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.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 & IndexSDVY is managed by First Trust Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $8.30 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index.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 ExpensesCost 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 SDVY are 0.60%, which makes it one of the most expensive products in the space.The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.54%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsMost 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.This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector - about 33.50% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.When you look at individual holdings, Select Water Solutions, Inc. (class A) (WTTR) accounts for about 1.10% of the fund's total assets, followed by Sm Energy Company (SM) and Hf Sinclair Corp. (DINO).Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 10.89% of SDVY's total assets under management.Performance and RiskYear-to-date, the First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF return is roughly 4.27% so far, and was up about 18.83% over the last 12 months (as of 02/03/2025). SDVY has traded between $31.69 and $40.33 in this past 52-week period.SDVY has a beta of 1.19 and standard deviation of 21.82% 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 $13.86 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $17.94 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 SM Energy Company (SM): Free Stock Analysis Report Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE): ETF Research Reports iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS): ETF Research Reports Select Water Solutions, Inc. (WTTR): Free Stock Analysis Report HF Sinclair Corporation (DINO): 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