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Should You Invest in the First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU)?
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Looking for broad exposure to the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Utilities - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 4, placing it in top 25%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $341.74 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market. FXU seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Utilities Index before fees and expenses.
The StrataQuant Utilities Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.64%, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.27%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector--about 88.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Energy round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW - Free Report) accounts for about 4.46% of total assets, followed by Nrg Energy, Inc. (NRG - Free Report) and Pg&e Corporation (PCG - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 39.86% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -3.42% and is up about 0.63% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 07/03/2023), respectively. FXU has traded between $29.52 and $36.10 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.62 and standard deviation of 17.53% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 41 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF sports a Zacks ETF Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. FXU, then, is not the best option for investors seeking exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are better ETFs in the space to consider.
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU - Free Report) tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. Vanguard Utilities ETF has $5.12 billion in assets, Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF has $15.48 billion. VPU has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLU charges 0.10%.
Bottom Line
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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Should You Invest in the First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU)?
Looking for broad exposure to the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Utilities - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 4, placing it in top 25%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $341.74 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Utilities - Broad segment of the equity market. FXU seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Utilities Index before fees and expenses.
The StrataQuant Utilities Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.64%, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.27%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector--about 88.10% of the portfolio. Industrials and Energy round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW - Free Report) accounts for about 4.46% of total assets, followed by Nrg Energy, Inc. (NRG - Free Report) and Pg&e Corporation (PCG - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 39.86% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -3.42% and is up about 0.63% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 07/03/2023), respectively. FXU has traded between $29.52 and $36.10 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.62 and standard deviation of 17.53% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 41 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF sports a Zacks ETF Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. FXU, then, is not the best option for investors seeking exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are better ETFs in the space to consider.
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU - Free Report) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU - Free Report) tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. Vanguard Utilities ETF has $5.12 billion in assets, Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF has $15.48 billion. VPU has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLU charges 0.10%.
Bottom Line
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.