Should First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF (FVD) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Core Viewpoint - The First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF (FVD) offers broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, with significant assets under management and a focus on dividend-paying companies [1][7]. Group 1: Fund Overview - FVD is a passively managed ETF launched on August 19, 2003, and is sponsored by First Trust Advisors, with assets exceeding $9.08 billion [1]. - The ETF targets large cap companies, defined as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion, which are generally considered stable investments [2]. Group 2: Performance Metrics - FVD aims to match the performance of the Value Line Dividend Index, which includes U.S. securities that pay above-average dividends and have potential for capital appreciation [7]. - The ETF has recorded a year-to-date increase of approximately 4.71% and a one-year increase of about 11.62% as of July 14, 2025 [7]. - Over the past 52 weeks, FVD has traded between $40.62 and $46.70 [7]. Group 3: Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for FVD are 0.61%, making it one of the more expensive ETFs in its category, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.26% [4]. Group 4: Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation to the Industrials sector, comprising about 21.70% of the portfolio, followed by Utilities and Consumer Staples [5]. - Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) represents about 0.49% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 4.8% of total assets under management [6]. Group 5: Risk Profile - FVD has a beta of 0.72 and a standard deviation of 13.07% over the trailing three-year period, categorizing it as a medium-risk investment [8]. - The ETF consists of about 226 holdings, which helps to diversify company-specific risk [8]. Group 6: Alternatives - Alternatives to FVD include the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV), which have significantly larger assets under management and lower expense ratios of 0.06% and 0.04%, respectively [10].