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Is First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF (FXZ) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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A smart beta exchange traded fund, the First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF (FXZ - Free Report) debuted on 05/08/2007, and offers broad exposure to the Materials ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Because the fund has amassed over $238.20 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Materials ETFs. FXZ is managed by First Trust Advisors. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Materials Index.
The StrataQuant Materials Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.61% for FXZ, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.46%.
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.
Representing 91% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Materials sector.
Taking into account individual holdings, Nucor Corporation (NUE - Free Report) accounts for about 5.40% of the fund's total assets, followed by Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD - Free Report) and Eastman Chemical Company (EMN - Free Report) .
FXZ's top 10 holdings account for about 45.43% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF return is roughly 0.02% so far, and is down about -16.74% over the last 12 months (as of 03/27/2025). FXZ has traded between $54.79 and $72.04 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.20 and standard deviation of 23.39% for the trailing three-year period, which makes FXZ a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 36 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Materials ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR - Free Report) tracks Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Index and the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB - Free Report) tracks Materials Select Sector Index. FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF has $4.95 billion in assets, Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF has $5.40 billion. GUNR has an expense ratio of 0.46% and XLB charges 0.08%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Materials ETFs.
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 First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF (FXZ) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF (FXZ - Free Report) debuted on 05/08/2007, and offers broad exposure to the Materials ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
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.
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.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Because the fund has amassed over $238.20 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Materials ETFs. FXZ is managed by First Trust Advisors. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Materials Index.
The StrataQuant Materials Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.61% for FXZ, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.46%.
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.
Representing 91% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Materials sector.
Taking into account individual holdings, Nucor Corporation (NUE - Free Report) accounts for about 5.40% of the fund's total assets, followed by Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD - Free Report) and Eastman Chemical Company (EMN - Free Report) .
FXZ's top 10 holdings account for about 45.43% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF return is roughly 0.02% so far, and is down about -16.74% over the last 12 months (as of 03/27/2025). FXZ has traded between $54.79 and $72.04 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.20 and standard deviation of 23.39% for the trailing three-year period, which makes FXZ a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 36 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Materials ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR - Free Report) tracks Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Index and the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB - Free Report) tracks Materials Select Sector Index. FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF has $4.95 billion in assets, Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF has $5.40 billion. GUNR has an expense ratio of 0.46% and XLB charges 0.08%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Materials ETFs.
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.