Launched on 06/16/2006, the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Wisdomtree. It has amassed assets over $3.32 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Value
With market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion, mid cap companies usually contain higher growth prospects than large cap companies, and are considered less risky than their small cap counterparts. Thus they have a nice balance of growth potential and stability.
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. Value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets when you consider long-term performance, growth stocks are more likely to outpace value stocks in strong bull markets.
Costs
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 0.38%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.56%.
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 Financials sector--about 24% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Westar Energy Inc (WR) accounts for about 1.37% of total assets, followed by Gaming & Leisure Porperties Inc (GLPI) and Cna Financial Corp (CNA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 10.47% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
DON seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index before fees and expenses. The WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the mid-capitalization segment of the US dividend-paying market.
The ETF has lost about -10.08% so far this year and is down about -0.82% in the last one year (as of 04/14/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $43.28 and $55.55.
The ETF has a beta of 0.93 and standard deviation of 19.07% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 332 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
WisdomTree U.S. MidCap 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, DON is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) and the Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE) track a similar index. While iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has $12.36 billion in assets, Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF has $16.23 billion. IWS has an expense ratio of 0.23% and VOE charges 0.07%.
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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WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend ETF (DON): ETF Research Reports CNA Financial Corporation (CNA): Free Stock Analysis Report Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI): Free Stock Analysis Report Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE): ETF Research Reports iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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