Tap 4 Quality ETFs With Cheaper Valuation & Juicy Yields

Wall Street has been undergoing a volatile environment since the start of April, mainly due to heightened trade tensions. Although President Donald Trump's push for reciprocal tariffs caused a bloodbath in markets in April, markets have stabilized following a temporary truce in U.S.-China trade tensions.

The Nasdaq has officially entered a new bull market, rocketing 24% from its early April lows. The S&P 500 isn’t far behind, up 17% over the same period. This sharp rebound caught many investors off guard (read: U.S. Stocks Rebound Sharply in May: Can the Rally Continue?).

Plenty of investors sat this rally out for a host of reasons—waiting for a clearer signal amid trade tensions, trying to time the exact market bottom, or even pull out of the market altogether as fear peaked.

Worries Are Yet to Be Over?

In such an improving scenario, Wall Street again faced a rough patch last week, with major indexes posting significant losses. The S&P 500 fell 2.6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 2.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite also fell 2.5%.

The decline was driven largely by increasing investor anxiety over the United States' swelling fiscal deficit, which overshadowed the otherwise positive economic data. Note that U.S. macroeconomic indicators have offered some reassurance in the meantime. Business activity picked up in May, suggesting stronger demand and higher business confidence. Initial jobless claims declined, pointing to continued labor market strength.

Credit Downgrade Heightens Market Jitters

Investor sentiment was rattled by Moody’s decision to strip the United States of its top-tier credit rating. This downgrade has added complexity to concerns surrounding President Donald Trump’s proposed tax legislation, which recently passed the House and now heads to the Senate. Many fear that the bill could exacerbate the fiscal imbalance and contribute to a larger national deficit.

Skyrocketing U.S. Debt Raises Red Flags

According to data from the Congressional Budget Office, the level of outstanding U.S. Treasuries has surged from $4.5 trillion in 2007 to nearly $30 trillion today. Public debt as a percentage of GDP has also soared, jumping from 35% to 100% over the same period, fueling investor unease about long-term fiscal sustainability.

Trade Tensions Escalate With EU and Apple

If these fears were not enough, in a move that further unsettled markets, President Trump proposed 50% tariffs on European Union imports starting June 1, citing stalled trade talks. He also threatened Apple AAPL with a minimum 25% tariff if the tech giant does not shift iPhone production to the United States.

Quality ETFs to Buy?

Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few quality-based exchange-traded funds that offer juicy yields and are currently trading at a cheaper valuation.The P/E ratio for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY is currently 25.23X. The below-mentioned ETFs have a lower P/E than SPY. ETF SPY has gained 5.2% over the past month (as of May 23, 2025).

FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund IQDY – P/E 15.06X

The underlying Northern Trust International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index is designed to provide exposure to a high-quality, income-oriented portfolio of long-only international securities issued by non-U.S.-based companies, with an emphasis on long-term capital growth and a targeted overall beta that is generally between 1.0 and 1.5 times that of the Northern Trust International Large Cap Index. The fund yields 6.50% annually and charges 47 bps in fees. IQDY has added 6% past month.

Matthews Asia Dividend Active ETF ADVE – P/E 12.9X

The ETF seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in dividend-paying equity securities of companies located in Asia. The fund may also invest in convertible debt and equity securities.The fund yields 5.32% annually and charges 79 bps in fees. ADVE has gained 5.3% past month.

VictoryShares Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF UEVM – P/E 8.49X

The underlying Nasdaq Victory Emerging Market Value Momentum Index comprises securities issued by companies in emerging market countries that have higher exposure to value and momentum factors while also maintaining moderate turnover and lower realized volatility than traditional capitalization-weighted indexes. The fund yields 6.05% annually and charges 45 bps in fees. UEVM has added 7.5% past month.

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF FDL – P/E 11.46X

The underlying Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index consists of stocks listed on one of the three major exchanges, NYSE, NYSE Amex or Nasdaq, that have shown dividend consistency and dividend sustainability. The fund yields 4.88% annually and charges 45 bps in fees. FDL has advanced 2.1% past month.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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