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3 days ago
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Is First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend ETF (FDD) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the European Equity ETFs category of the market, the First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend ETF (FDD) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 08/27/2007. For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment. Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns. 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. 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. FDD is managed by First Trust Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $467.41 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the European Equity ETFs. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the STOXX Europe Select Dividend 30 Index before fees and expenses. The STOXX Europe Select Dividend 30 Index consists of 30 high dividend-yielding securities selected from the STOXX Europe 600 Index. 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. Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.59% for FDD, making it on par with most peer products in the space. It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 5.82%. ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis. When you look at individual holdings, Taylor Wimpey Plc (TW/.LN) accounts for about 5.46% of the fund's total assets, followed by Aker Bp Asa ( and Legal & General Group Plc ( FDD's top 10 holdings account for about 41.91% of its total assets under management. Year-to-date, the First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend ETF has added roughly 36% so far, and is up about 29.58% over the last 12 months (as of 05/30/2025). FDD has traded between $11.07 and $15.24 in this past 52-week period. FDD has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 19.23% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 34 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers. First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the European Equity ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. IShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (EZU) tracks MSCI EMU Index and the Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) tracks FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. IShares MSCI Eurozone ETF has $7.90 billion in assets, Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF has $24.50 billion. EZU has an expense ratio of 0.51% and VGK charges 0.06%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the European Equity ETFs. 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. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend ETF (FDD): ETF Research Reports iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (EZU): ETF Research Reports Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
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Is First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FYC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth category of the market, the First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FYC) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 04/19/2011. 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. 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. 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. Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance. While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results. The fund is managed by First Trust Advisors. FYC has been able to amass assets over $432.91 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. Before fees and expenses, FYC seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Small Cap Growth Index. The NASDAQ AlphaDEX Small Cap Growth Index is an enhanced which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology to select stocks from the NASDAQ US 700 Small Cap Growth Index. 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 cousins, other things remaining the same. Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.71% for this ETF, which makes it one of the most expensive products in the space. It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.75%. ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis. For FYC, it has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector --about 22.20% of the portfolio --while Healthcare and Industrials round out the top three. Taking into account individual holdings, Sezzle Inc. (SEZL) accounts for about 1% of the fund's total assets, followed by Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (HTZ) and Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation (ADPT). Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 7.93% of FYC's total assets under management. Year-to-date, the First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF has lost about -3.69% so far, and is up about 12.93% over the last 12 months (as of 05/29/2025). FYC has traded between $61.01 and $84.64 in this past 52-week period. FYC has a beta of 1.16 and standard deviation of 23.11% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a high risk choice in the space. With about 265 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. IShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) tracks Russell 2000 Growth Index and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) tracks CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index. IShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $11.20 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $18.09 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK charges 0.07%. 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 - Small Cap Growth. 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. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FYC): ETF Research Reports Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (HTZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation (ADPT) : Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK): ETF Research Reports Sezzle Inc. (SEZL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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6 days ago
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Should First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) Be on Your Investing Radar?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/07/2014. The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $14.01 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market. Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts. While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Looking at their long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets. They are however likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets. Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same. Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.48%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space. It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.69%. ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis. This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 38.60% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three. Looking at individual holdings, Unum Group (UNM) accounts for about 2.49% of total assets, followed by Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) and Visa Inc. (class A) (V). The top 10 holdings account for about 22.83% of total assets under management. RDVY seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Rising Dividend Achievers Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ US Rising Dividend Achievers Index is designed to provide access to a diversified portfolio of companies with a history of paying dividends. The ETF return is roughly 0.92% so far this year and it's up approximately 9.72% in the last one year (as of 05/27/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $51.60 and $64.37. The ETF has a beta of 1.08 and standard deviation of 19.76% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 77 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, RDVY is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well. 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 $67.43 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $131.73 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%. While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency. 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. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY): ETF Research Reports Visa Inc. (V) : Free Stock Analysis Report Unum Group (UNM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): ETF Research Reports Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
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7 days ago
- Business
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Is First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 12/15/2020, the First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Foreign Large Growth ETF category of the market. The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment. 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. 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. By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such. 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. The fund is managed by First Trust Advisors, and has been able to amass over $204.51 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Growth ETF. Before fees and expenses, FICS seeks to match the performance of the INTERNATIONAL DEVLPD CAPITAL STRENGTH ID. The International Developed Capital Strength Index provides exposure to well-capitalized companies in the developed markets outside of the U.S. with strong market positions that have the potential to provide their stockholders with a greater degree of stability and performance over time. 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 FICS are 0.70%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space. It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.95%. ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis. Looking at individual holdings, L'oreal S.a. ( accounts for about 2.20% of total assets, followed by Gsk Plc ( and The Sage Group Plc ( Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 20.81% of FICS's total assets under management. So far this year, FICS return is roughly 17.59%, and is up about 16.14% in the last one year (as of 05/26/2025). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $33.47 and $39.78. The fund has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 15.77% for the trailing three-year period. With about 58 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Growth ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider. Capital Group International Equity ETF (CGIE) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the Capital Group International Focus Equity ETF (CGXU) tracks ----------------------------------------. Capital Group International Equity ETF has $635.09 million in assets, Capital Group International Focus Equity ETF has $3.64 billion. CGIE has an expense ratio of 0.54% and CGXU charges 0.54%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Growth ETF. 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. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS): ETF Research Reports Capital Group International Focus Equity ETF (CGXU): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
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7 days ago
- Business
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Should You Invest in the First Trust Indxx NextG ETF (NXTG)?
Looking for broad exposure to the Technology - Telecom segment of the equity market? You should consider the First Trust Indxx NextG ETF (NXTG), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 02/17/2011. 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. Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Technology - Telecom is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 8, placing it in top 50%. The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $364.44 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Technology - Telecom segment of the equity market. NXTG seeks to match the performance of the INDXX 5G & NEXTG THEMATIC INDEX before fees and expenses. The Indxx 5G & NextG Thematic Index tracks the performance of companies engaged in the smartphone segment of the telecom and technology sectors. When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal. Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.70%, making it one of the more expensive products in the space. It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.45%. 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. Looking at individual holdings, Xiaomi Corporation (class B) ( accounts for about 2.14% of total assets, followed by Nec Corporation ( and Zte Corporation (class H) ( The top 10 holdings account for about 15.71% of total assets under management. The ETF has added about 6.80% so far this year and was up about 16.26% in the last one year (as of 05/26/2025). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $74.67 and $92.10. The ETF has a beta of 0.87 and standard deviation of 17.76% for the trailing three-year period. With about 109 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. First Trust Indxx NextG 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, NXTG is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Technology ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust Indxx NextG ETF (NXTG): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
