Is First Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend ETF (FGD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The First Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend ETF (FGD) is a smart beta ETF launched on November 21, 2007, providing broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF category [1] - The ETF aims to match the performance of the Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index, which is a dividend yield weighted index of 100 stocks from developed markets [5] Fund Overview - FGD has accumulated assets of over $862.53 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF within its category [5] - The fund's annual operating expenses are 0.56%, which is competitive with peer products [6] - The ETF has a trailing 12-month dividend yield of 4.64% [6] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, FGD has increased by approximately 32.41%, and it has risen about 27.32% over the last 12 months as of August 21, 2025 [9] - The ETF has traded between $21.80 and $29.06 in the past 52 weeks [9] - FGD has a beta of 0.76 and a standard deviation of 14.83% over the trailing three-year period, indicating it is a low-risk investment [10] Holdings and Sector Exposure - The top 10 holdings of FGD account for about 16.52% of total assets, with Spark New Zealand Limited being the largest holding at approximately 1.97% [7][8] - The ETF holds around 105 different stocks, effectively diversifying company-specific risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the Foreign Large Value segment include the Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI) and the Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF), which have significantly larger asset bases of $11.88 billion and $17.35 billion, respectively [12] - VYMI has a lower expense ratio of 0.17%, while FNDF charges 0.25% [12]