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Should Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 10/18/2012.

The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $3.46 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

Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows 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. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.30%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.41%.

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 to the Utilities sector--about 19.70% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Verizon Communications Inc (VZ - Free Report) accounts for about 2.87% of total assets, followed by Altria Group Inc (MO - Free Report) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 25.97% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

SPHD seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility High Dividend Index before fees and expenses. 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.

The ETF has gained about 21.01% so far this year and is up roughly 31.07% in the last one year (as of 11/15/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $39.50 and $51.07.

The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 14.59% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, SPHD is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

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 $65.42 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $130.75 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% 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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