Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/28/2015.
The fund is sponsored by Franklin Templeton Investments. It has amassed assets over $522.25 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
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.
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 0.27%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.15%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Utilities sector--about 24% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Real Estate round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Mcdonald's Corp (MCD) accounts for about 2.75% of total assets, followed by Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) and Altria Group Inc (MO).
The top 10 holdings account for about 25.74% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
LVHD seeks to match the performance of the QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index provides stable income through investment in stocks of profitable U.S. companies with relatively high dividend yields, lower price and earnings volatility.
The ETF return is roughly 2.09% so far this year and is up about 14.39% in the last one year (as of 01/22/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $34.51 and $41.26.
The ETF has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 13.66% for the trailing three-year period. With about 122 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index 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, LVHD is a great 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 $68.36 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $134.07 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.
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 >>Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD): ETF Research Reports
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Altria Group, Inc. (MO) : 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.
