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The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN) was launched on 06/16/2006, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

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.

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

The fund is managed by Wisdomtree, and has been able to amass over $4.28 billion, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. DLN, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index.

The WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization segment of the U.S. dividend-paying market.

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.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.28% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

DLN's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.05%.

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 19.60% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector; Financials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 3.64% of total assets, followed by Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).

The top 10 holdings account for about 27.07% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added about 19.34% and it's up approximately 31.81% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 10/04/2024), respectively. DLN has traded between $58.89 and $78.56 during this last 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 13.83% for the trailing three-year period, which makes DLN a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 307 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $61.30 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $126.73 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

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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WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF (DLN): ETF Research Reports

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): ETF Research Reports

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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.