Should First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap ETF (FDM) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Core Insights - The First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap ETF (FDM) is designed to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, with assets over $202.96 million [1] - Small cap companies, defined as those with market capitalizations below $2 billion, present both potential and risk, typically combining growth and value stocks [2] - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.6% and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.39% [3] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation to the Financials sector, comprising about 41.8% of the portfolio, followed by Consumer Discretionary and Industrials [4] - Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (STOK) is the largest individual holding at approximately 2.69% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for about 15.06% of total assets under management [5] Performance Metrics - FDM aims to match the performance of the Dow Jones Select Microcap Index, which includes liquid microcap stocks with strong fundamentals [6] - The ETF has increased by roughly 11.55% year-to-date and is up approximately 16.75% over the past year, with a trading range between $55.48 and $77.89 in the last 52 weeks [6] - It has a beta of 1.05 and a standard deviation of 21.44% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [7] Alternatives and Market Position - FDM holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a reasonable option for investors seeking exposure to the Small Cap Blend market segment [8] - Comparable ETFs include the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) with $70.20 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.19%, and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) with $86.90 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.06% [9] Industry Trends - Passively managed ETFs are gaining popularity among both institutional and retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency, making them suitable for long-term investment strategies [10]