Should First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF Be on Your Investing Radar?

Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market? You should consider the First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF FVD, a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 08/19/2003.

The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $9.72 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. 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

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.60%, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.12%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 19.50% of the portfolio. Utilities and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Kellanova K accounts for about 0.62% of total assets, followed by Erie Indemnity Company ERIE and Lockheed Martin Corporation LMT.

The top 10 holdings account for about 5.55% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

FVD seeks to match the performance of the Value Line Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The Value Line Dividend Index is a modified equal dollar weighted index comprised of U.S. exchange listed securities of companies that pay above-average dividends and have potential for capital appreciation.

The ETF has added about 11.07% so far this year and is up about 16.28% in the last one year (as of 09/04/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $36.09 and $44.80.

The ETF has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 13.51% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 208 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

First Trust Value Line Dividend 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, FVD is a reasonable 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 and the Vanguard Value ETF VTV track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $59.94 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $123.92 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

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