Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Launched on 03/29/2011, the iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large 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.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

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.

This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $10.30 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index.

The Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index offers exposure to high quality U.S. domiciled companies that have had strong financial health and an ability to sustain above average dividend payouts.

Cost & Other Expenses

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

HDV's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 3.81%.

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.

For HDV, it has heaviest allocation in the Energy sector --about 21.10% of the portfolio --while Healthcare and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM - Free Report) accounts for about 8.29% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Chevron Corp (CVX - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 51.53% of HDV's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 1.69% so far this year and is up about 2.61% in the last one year (as of 12/29/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $93.77 and $106.66.

HDV has a beta of 0.81 and standard deviation of 13.74% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 81 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares Core High Dividend ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $55.46 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $105.62 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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 - Large Cap Value.

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.

Published in