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Is Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (KBWY) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Real Estate ETFs category of the market, the Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (KBWY - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 12/02/2010.

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.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

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.

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 & Index

KBWY is managed by Invesco, and this fund has amassed over $220.83 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Real Estate ETFs. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the KBW Nasdaq Premium Yield Equity REIT Index before fees and expenses.

The KBW Nasdaq Premium Yield Equity REIT Index is a dividend weighted index seeking to reflect the performance of approximately 24 to 40 small- and mid-cap equity REITs in the US.

Cost & Other Expenses

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for KBWY, making it on par with most peer products in the space.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 8.82%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most 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.

Representing 100% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Real Estate sector.

Looking at individual holdings, Necessity Retail Reit Inc/the accounts for about 6.10% of total assets, followed by Omega Healthcare Investors Inc (OHI - Free Report) and Medical Properties Trust Inc (MPW - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 46.73% of KBWY's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -1.89% and is down about -16.90% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 08/18/2023), respectively. KBWY has traded between $16.18 and $23.60 during this last 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 1.26 and standard deviation of 24.38% for the trailing three-year period, which makes KBWY a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 30 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Real Estate ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE - Free Report) tracks Real Estate Select Sector Index and the Schwab U.S. REIT ETF (SCHH - Free Report) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index. Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF has $4.39 billion in assets, Schwab U.S. REIT ETF has $5.65 billion. XLRE has an expense ratio of 0.10% and SCHH 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 Real Estate ETFs.

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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