Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on November 3, 2003.
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $20.28 billion, making it one of the largest 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. 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. Considering long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets; however, they are more likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.
Costs
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.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.38%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.5%.
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 Utilities sector -- about 26.2% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Altria Group Inc (MO) accounts for about 2.62% of total assets, followed by Ford Motor Co (F) and Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (STX).
The top 10 holdings account for about 19.33% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
DVY seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index measures the performance of a selected group of equity securities issued by companies that have provided relatively high dividend yields on a consistent basis over time.
The ETF has added roughly 8.27% so far this year and is up roughly 7.45% in the last one year (as of 11/04/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $118.37 and $143.41.
The ETF has a beta of 0.78 and standard deviation of 14.64% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 106 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
iShares Select 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, DVY is a sufficient 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 $68.44 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $147.86 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds 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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iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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