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Is WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON - Free Report) was launched on 06/16/2006, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

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.

While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Wisdomtree, DON has amassed assets over $3.70 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index.

The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the mid-capitalization segment of the US dividend-paying market.

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.

Annual operating expenses for DON are 0.38%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

DON's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.26%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

DON's heaviest allocation is in the Financials sector, which is about 25% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Vistra Corp (VST - Free Report) accounts for about 1.30% of total assets, followed by Packaging Corp Of America (PKG - Free Report) and International Paper Co (IP - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 9.9% of DON's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 11.65% so far this year and is up roughly 19.86% in the last one year (as of 09/02/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $38.70 and $50.32.

DON has a beta of 1.07 and standard deviation of 18.34% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 331 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS - Free Report) tracks Russell MidCap Value Index and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Value Index. IShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $13.45 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $17.41 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE 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 Style Box - Mid 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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