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Should First Trust Large Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF (FTA) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the First Trust Large Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF (FTA - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.

The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.18 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

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. While 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 0.60%, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.03%.

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 Financials sector--about 23.50% of the portfolio. Utilities and Materials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC - Free Report) accounts for about 1.13% of total assets, followed by Valero Energy Corporation (VLO - Free Report) and Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 10.28% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

FTA seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Value Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ AlphaDEX Large Cap Value Index is an enhanced index which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology to select stocks from the NASDAQ US 500 Large Cap Value Index.

The ETF has added about 5.37% so far this year and it's up approximately 19.97% in the last one year (as of 05/28/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $61.60 and $76.38.

The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 16.95% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 188 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

First Trust Large Cap Value AlphaDEX 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, FTA 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 iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $55.80 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $115.22 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% 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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