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Is iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) debuted on 06/10/2014, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large 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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
DGRO is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $30.91 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index before fees and expenses.
The Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index is composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends.
Cost & Other Expenses
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 DGRO are 0.08%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.20%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
Representing 19.90% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM - Free Report) accounts for about 3.21% of the fund's total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Broadcom Inc (AVGO - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.58% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has added roughly 2.77% so far, and is up about 14.37% over the last 12 months (as of 03/06/2025). DGRO has traded between $55.23 and $64.94 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 14.19% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 411 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Core Dividend Growth ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW - Free Report) tracks WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG - Free Report) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF has $15.03 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $88.43 billion. DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28% and VIG charges 0.05%.
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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Is iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO - Free Report) debuted on 06/10/2014, and offers broad exposure to the Style Box - Large 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.
A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
DGRO is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $30.91 billion, which makes it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index before fees and expenses.
The Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index is composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends.
Cost & Other Expenses
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 DGRO are 0.08%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.20%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
Representing 19.90% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Healthcare and Information Technology round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM - Free Report) accounts for about 3.21% of the fund's total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) and Broadcom Inc (AVGO - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.58% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has added roughly 2.77% so far, and is up about 14.37% over the last 12 months (as of 03/06/2025). DGRO has traded between $55.23 and $64.94 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 14.19% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 411 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Core Dividend Growth ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW - Free Report) tracks WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG - Free Report) tracks NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF has $15.03 billion in assets, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has $88.43 billion. DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28% and VIG charges 0.05%.
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.