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Is Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD - Free Report) debuted on 10/18/2012, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.

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.

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.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

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 & Index

Managed by Invesco, SPHD has amassed assets over $3.04 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility High Dividend Index.

The S&P 500 Low Volatility High Dividend Index comprises of 50 securities traded on the S&P 500 Index that historically have provided high dividend yields and low volatility.

Cost & Other Expenses

When 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 0.30% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

SPHD's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.41%.

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 in the Real Estate sector - about 17.30% of the portfolio. Utilities and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

When you look at individual holdings, At&t Inc (T - Free Report) accounts for about 3.14% of the fund's total assets, followed by Altria Group Inc (MO - Free Report) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 27.36% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 1.63% so far this year and is up about 2.67% in the last one year (as of 01/03/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $37.32 and $46.11.

The fund has a beta of 0.89 and standard deviation of 15.17% for the trailing three-year period, which makes SPHD a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

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 $55.55 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $106.05 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.

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