Is iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is a smart beta ETF launched on June 10, 2014, designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value category [1] - DGRO is managed by Blackrock and has accumulated over $34.03 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in its category [5] - The fund aims to match the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index, which includes U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends [5] Cost and Performance - DGRO has an annual operating expense of 0.08%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options in the ETF space [6] - The fund's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.10% [6] - As of September 11, 2025, DGRO has gained approximately 10.8% year-to-date and 12.61% over the past year, with a trading range between $55.22 and $67.33 in the last 52 weeks [10] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The Financials sector represents 20.3% of DGRO's portfolio, followed by Information Technology and Healthcare [7] - Top holdings include Apple Inc (3.23% of total assets), Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft Corp, with the top 10 holdings accounting for about 27.77% of total assets [8] Risk Profile - DGRO has a beta of 0.84 and a standard deviation of 13.59% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10] - The fund consists of approximately 405 holdings, effectively diversifying company-specific risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) with $16.41 billion in assets and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) with $97.34 billion [12] - DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28%, while VIG has a lower expense ratio of 0.05% [12]