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?
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.
Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as 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.
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.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Wisdomtree, DLN has amassed assets over $4.68 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund 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
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.
Annual operating expenses for DLN are 0.28%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.94%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
DLN's heaviest allocation is in the Financials sector, which is about 19.30% of the portfolio. Its Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) accounts for about 3.93% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 26.68% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend ETF return is roughly 4.10% so far, and is up about 21.72% over the last 12 months (as of 02/07/2025). DLN has traded between $67.55 and $82.11 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.88 and standard deviation of 13.72% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 302 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 $67.46 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $135.58 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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Get it free >>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.
