Is Vident International Equity Strategy ETF (VIDI) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The Vident International Equity Strategy ETF (VIDI) made its debut on 10/29/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF 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.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.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 & IndexThe fund is managed by Vident Financial, and has been able to amass over $344.90 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Vident International Equity Index.The Vident Core International Equity Index is an international equity index that combines principles-based country and securities selection with sophisticated risk management. The index balances risk across developed and emerging economies and emphasizes those with favorable conditions for growth.Cost & Other ExpensesWhen considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.61% for this ETF, which makes it one of the more expensive products in the space.The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.57%.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.Looking at individual holdings, Ssab Ab (SSABB) accounts for about 0.69% of total assets, followed by Lenovo Group Ltd and Iveco Group Nv (IVG).VIDI's top 10 holdings account for about 6.12% of its total assets under management.Performance and RiskSo far this year, VIDI has gained about 8.38%, and is up about 13.41% in the last one year (as of 03/20/2025). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $23.67 and $27.19.The fund has a beta of 0.92 and standard deviation of 15.54% for the trailing three-year period, which makes VIDI a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 257 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesVident International Equity Strategy ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.Dimensional International Value ETF (DFIV) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF) tracks Russell RAFI Developed ex US Large Co. Index (Net). Dimensional International Value ETF has $9.72 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $14.88 billion. DFIV has an expense ratio of 0.27% and FNDF charges 0.25%.Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Value ETF.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 Vident International Equity Strategy ETF (VIDI): ETF Research Reports Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF): ETF Research Reports Dimensional International Value ETF (DFIV): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks