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Should First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 03/09/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $4.22 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks 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
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.45%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.10%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Healthcare sector--about 20.60% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Abbvie Inc. (ABBV - Free Report) accounts for about 8.67% of total assets, followed by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ - Free Report) and Chevron Corporation (CVX - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 55.79% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FDL seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index before fees and expenses. The Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index consists of stocks listed on one of the three major exchanges, NYSE, NYSE Amex or Nasdaq, that have shown dividend consistency and dividend sustainability.
The ETF has gained about 17.66% so far this year and was up about 24.55% in the last one year (as of 09/10/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $31.58 and $41.61.
The ETF has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 14.95% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders 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, FDL is an excellent 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 Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $59.72 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $124.07 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
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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Should First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 03/09/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $4.22 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks 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
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.45%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.10%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Healthcare sector--about 20.60% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Financials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Abbvie Inc. (ABBV - Free Report) accounts for about 8.67% of total assets, followed by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ - Free Report) and Chevron Corporation (CVX - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 55.79% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FDL seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index before fees and expenses. The Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index consists of stocks listed on one of the three major exchanges, NYSE, NYSE Amex or Nasdaq, that have shown dividend consistency and dividend sustainability.
The ETF has gained about 17.66% so far this year and was up about 24.55% in the last one year (as of 09/10/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $31.58 and $41.61.
The ETF has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 14.95% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders 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, FDL is an excellent 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 Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $59.72 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $124.07 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
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.