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Should First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF (FVD) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF (FVD - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 08/19/2003.

The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $9.61 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.

While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.65%, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.28%.

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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Utilities sector--about 21.60% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Garmin Ltd. (GRMN - Free Report) accounts for about 0.70% of total assets, followed by Erie Indemnity Company (ERIE - Free Report) and The Kroger Co. (KR - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 6.8% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

FVD seeks to match the performance of the Value Line Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The Value Line Dividend Index is a modified equal dollar weighted index comprised of U.S. exchange listed securities of companies that pay above-average dividends and have potential for capital appreciation.

The ETF has added roughly 1.01% so far this year and was up about 4.61% in the last one year (as of 04/29/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $36.09 and $42.23.

The ETF has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 13.51% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 167 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, FVD is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $54.22 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $112.62 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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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