Is ALPS O'Shares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF (OUSA) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box – Large Cap Value category of the market, the ALPS O’Shares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF (OUSA) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 07/14/2015.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
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.
There are some investors, though, who think it’s possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $779.33 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box – Large Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the FTSE US Qual / Vol / Yield Factor 5% Capped Index.
The OShares U.S. Quality Dividend Index measures the performance of publicly-listed large-capitalization and mid-capitalization dividend-paying issuers in the United States.
Cost & Other Expenses
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 OUSA are 0.48%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it’s still important for investors to research a fund’s holdings.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector – about 22.10% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Home Depot Inc. (HD) accounts for about 5.28% of the fund’s total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).
The top 10 holdings account for about 36.38% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the ALPS O’Shares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF has gained about 0% so far, and is down about -4.26% over the last 12 months (as of 02/20/2023). OUSA has traded between $38.45 and $44.66 in this past 52-week period.
With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
ALPS O’Shares U.S. Quality 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.
IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $53.19 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $104.14 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% 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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ALPS O’Shares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF (OUSA): ETF Research Reports
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The Home Depot, Inc. (HD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD): ETF Research Reports
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