Core Viewpoint - The First Trust Mid Cap Value AlphaDEX ETF (FNK) offers investors exposure to the mid-cap value segment of the market, utilizing a smart beta strategy to potentially outperform traditional market cap weighted indexes [1][5]. Fund Overview - FNK was launched on April 19, 2011, and is managed by First Trust Advisors, accumulating over $202.57 million in assets, categorizing it as one of the smaller ETFs in its segment [1][5]. - The ETF aims to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Mid Cap Value Index, which employs a stock selection methodology based on fundamental characteristics [5]. Cost Structure - FNK has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.70%, making it one of the more expensive options in the mid-cap value ETF space [6]. - The fund offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.74% [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Consumer Discretionary sector, comprising approximately 21.9% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Industrials [7]. - Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) is the largest individual holding at about 1.07% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 8.98% of total assets under management [8]. Performance Metrics - As of July 17, 2025, FNK has experienced a loss of about -1.07% year-to-date and -2.35% over the past year [10]. - The fund has traded between $43.24 and $58.28 in the last 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.06 and a standard deviation of 22.04% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10]. Alternatives - Other ETFs in the mid-cap value space include iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (IWS) and Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE), which have significantly larger asset bases of $13.43 billion and $17.97 billion, respectively, and lower expense ratios of 0.23% and 0.07% [12].

Core Viewpoint - The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG) is a smart beta ETF launched on December 13, 2016, providing broad exposure to the large-cap growth segment of the market [1] Group 1: Fund Overview - NULG is managed by Nuveen and has accumulated over $1.66 billion in assets, positioning it as an average-sized ETF within its category [5] - The fund aims to match the performance of the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Growth Index, which includes equity securities from large-cap companies listed on U.S. exchanges [5] Group 2: Cost and Performance - NULG has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.26%, which is competitive with peer products [6] - The ETF has achieved a year-to-date gain of approximately 10.41% and a one-year increase of about 13.47% as of July 17, 2025 [10] Group 3: Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation of about 48.9% in the Information Technology sector, with Consumer Discretionary and Telecom also being major sectors [7] - Nvidia Corp (NVDA) constitutes around 13.14% of the fund's total assets, with the top 10 holdings making up approximately 42.74% of total assets under management [8] Group 4: Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU), which have larger asset bases and lower expense ratios [12]

Core Viewpoint - The American Century U.S. Quality Growth ETF (QGRO) is designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Growth category, utilizing a smart beta strategy to potentially outperform traditional market cap weighted indexes [1][5]. Fund Overview - QGRO was launched on September 10, 2018, and is sponsored by American Century Investments [1][5]. - The fund has accumulated over $1.75 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in its category [5]. - It aims to match the performance of the American Century U.S. Quality Growth Index, which selects large and mid-cap U.S. companies with strong growth and quality fundamentals [5]. Cost Structure - QGRO has an annual operating expense of 0.29%, positioning it as one of the more affordable options in the smart beta ETF space [6]. - The fund's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 0.24% [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 36.2% of the portfolio [7]. - The top three sectors also include Industrials and Healthcare [7]. - Booking Holdings Inc (BKNG) is the largest individual holding at about 3.52% of total assets, followed by Meta Platforms Inc Class A (META) and Netflix Inc (NFLX) [8]. - The top 10 holdings account for around 27.32% of total assets under management [8]. Performance Metrics - As of July 17, 2025, QGRO has gained approximately 8.3% year-to-date and about 22.13% over the past year [10]. - The fund has traded between $80.24 and $109.93 in the last 52 weeks [10]. - QGRO has a beta of 1.10 and a standard deviation of 20.20% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a moderate level of risk [10]. - The fund holds about 189 securities, effectively diversifying company-specific risk [10]. Alternatives - While QGRO is a viable option for investors looking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Growth segment, there are other ETFs available, such as iShares Morningstar Growth ETF (ILCG) and iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF (IUSG) [11][12]. - ILCG has $2.8 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.04%, while IUSG has $23.75 billion in assets with the same expense ratio [12].

Core Viewpoint - The Fidelity Value Factor ETF (FVAL) is a smart beta ETF designed to provide broad exposure to the large-cap value segment of the market, with a focus on stocks that exhibit attractive valuations [1][5]. Fund Overview - FVAL was launched on September 12, 2016, and is managed by Fidelity [1]. - The ETF has accumulated assets of over $977.06 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF within its category [5]. - FVAL aims to match the performance of the Fidelity U.S. Value Factor Index, which includes large and mid-cap U.S. companies with appealing valuations [5]. Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for FVAL are 0.16%, making it one of the more affordable options in the smart beta ETF space [6]. - The ETF has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.55% [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - FVAL's largest sector allocation is in Information Technology, comprising approximately 32.1% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Consumer Discretionary [7]. - Microsoft Corp (MSFT) is the largest holding at about 7.22% of total assets, with Nvidia Corp (NVDA) and Apple Inc (AAPL) also among the top holdings [8]. - The top 10 holdings represent around 38.51% of the total assets under management [8]. Performance Metrics - As of July 17, 2025, FVAL has a return of approximately 5.29% and has increased by about 8.92% year-to-date [9]. - The ETF has traded within a range of $52.80 to $65.00 over the past 52 weeks [9]. - FVAL has a beta of 0.96 and a standard deviation of 16.58% over the trailing three-year period, indicating effective diversification of company-specific risk with around 130 holdings [10]. Alternatives - While FVAL is a viable option for investors looking to outperform the large-cap value segment, alternatives such as Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) and Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) are also available [11]. - SCHD has $70.27 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.06%, while VTV has $138.73 billion in assets with an expense ratio of 0.04% [12].

Core Insights - The Invesco Russell 2000 Dynamic Multifactor ETF (OMFS) offers investors broad exposure to the small-cap blend market segment, having debuted on November 8, 2017 [1] - The ETF industry has been traditionally dominated by market capitalization weighted indexes, but smart beta strategies are gaining traction among investors seeking to outperform the market through stock selection [2][3] Fund Overview - Managed by Invesco, OMFS has accumulated over $239.4 million in assets, positioning it as an average-sized ETF within its category [5] - The fund aims to match the performance of the Russell 2000 Invesco Dynamic Multifactor Index, which selects stocks from the Russell 2000 Index, representing 2,000 small-cap companies in the U.S. [6] Cost Structure - OMFS has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.39%, which is competitive within its peer group, and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.30% [7] Sector Allocation and Holdings - The fund's largest sector allocation is to Financials at 28.1%, followed by Industrials and Information Technology [8] - Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (SFM) is the largest individual holding at 3.44% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings comprising approximately 14.19% of OMFS's total assets [9] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, OMFS has returned approximately 2.13% and is up about 8.98% over the last 12 months as of July 16, 2025 [11] - The fund has a beta of 1.05 and a standard deviation of 21.10% over the trailing three-year period, indicating effective diversification with around 649 holdings [11] Alternatives - Investors seeking to outperform the small-cap blend segment may consider OMFS, but there are alternative ETFs such as iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) that may offer lower expense ratios and risk profiles [12][13]

Core Viewpoint - The SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS) is a smart beta ETF that aims to provide broad exposure to the large-cap blend market segment, with a focus on outperforming traditional market cap weighted indexes [1][5]. Fund Overview - Launched on April 15, 2015, QUS has accumulated over $1.55 billion in assets, positioning it as one of the larger ETFs in its category [1][5]. - The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors and seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Factor Mix A-Series Index [5]. Cost Structure - QUS has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.15%, making it one of the cheaper options in the smart beta ETF space [6]. - The fund's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.44% [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - The largest sector allocation for QUS is Information Technology, comprising approximately 25.1% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Healthcare [7]. - Microsoft Corp (MSFT) is the top holding at about 3.22% of total assets, with Apple Inc (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA) also among the top positions. The top 10 holdings account for about 21.39% of total assets [8]. Performance Metrics - As of July 16, 2025, QUS has gained approximately 5.3% year-to-date and 8.73% over the past year [9]. - The fund has traded between $140.84 and $164.55 in the last 52 weeks [9]. Risk Profile - QUS has a beta of 0.88 and a standard deviation of 14.33% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10]. - The fund holds about 552 securities, which helps to diversify company-specific risk [10]. Alternatives - Other ETFs in the large-cap blend space include SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), with assets of $639.29 billion and $688.86 billion respectively. SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% and VOO charges 0.03% [11].

Core Insights - The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) is a smart beta ETF launched on April 21, 2006, providing broad exposure to the large-cap blend market segment [1] - VIG aims to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index, focusing on companies with a history of increasing dividends [5] Fund Overview - VIG has amassed over $92.31 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in its category [5] - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.05%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options available [6] - The 12-month trailing dividend yield for VIG is 1.72% [6] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 25.9% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Healthcare [7] - Broadcom Inc (AVGO) represents about 5.11% of the fund's total assets, with Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM) also among the top holdings [8] Performance Metrics - VIG has increased by roughly 5.27% year-to-date and has risen about 10.67% over the past year as of July 16, 2025 [9] - The ETF has traded between $173.71 and $207.81 in the past 52 weeks [9] - VIG has a beta of 0.85 and a standard deviation of 14.24% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO), with assets of $15.95 billion and $32.19 billion respectively [12] - DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28%, while DGRO has a lower expense ratio of 0.08% [12]

Core Viewpoint - The Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Pure Value ETF (RZV) offers investors exposure to small-cap value stocks and aims to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Pure Value Index, with a focus on strong value characteristics [1][5]. Fund Overview - RZV debuted on March 1, 2006, and has accumulated over $209.5 million in assets, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF in the small-cap value space [1][5]. - The fund is sponsored by Invesco and has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.35%, which is competitive within its peer group [5][6]. Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, RZV has experienced a loss of approximately -2.68%, while it has gained about 4.65% over the last 12 months as of July 16, 2025 [9]. - The ETF has a beta of 1.20 and a standard deviation of 24.59% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a higher risk profile [10]. Sector Allocation - The fund's largest sector allocation is in Consumer Discretionary, comprising about 26.9% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Energy [7]. - Par Pacific Holdings Inc (PARR) is the largest individual holding at approximately 2.49% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for about 17.72% of RZV's total assets [8]. Alternatives - Other ETFs in the small-cap value space include iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) and Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR), which have significantly larger asset bases of $10.87 billion and $29.86 billion, respectively [12]. - IWN has a lower expense ratio of 0.24%, while VBR has a minimal change of 0.07%, making them potentially more attractive options for cost-conscious investors [12].

Group 1 - The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta International Equity ETF (GSIE) utilizes a factor-based methodology but shows performance comparable to more established international ETFs like EFA and VEA [1] - GSIE has a significantly lower Assets Under Management (AUM) of approximately $4 billion, indicating less popularity compared to its alternatives [1] Group 2 - The article emphasizes the importance of rigorous risk management and a long-term perspective on value creation in investment strategies [1]

Core Viewpoint - The First Trust Natural Gas ETF (FCG) is a smart beta ETF designed to provide broad exposure to the energy sector, specifically focusing on natural gas companies [1][5]. Fund Overview - FCG was launched on May 8, 2007, and is managed by First Trust Advisors [1][5]. - The fund has accumulated assets of over $349.35 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF within the energy sector [5]. - FCG aims to match the performance of the ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index, which is an equal-weighted index of companies involved in natural gas exploration and production [5]. Cost and Expenses - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.57%, which is competitive within its peer group [6]. - It offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.77% [6]. Sector Exposure and Holdings - Approximately 97.6% of FCG's portfolio is allocated to the energy sector, providing concentrated exposure [7]. - The top holding, Eqt Corporation (EQT), constitutes about 4.8% of the fund's total assets, with the top 10 holdings making up approximately 43.36% of total assets [8]. Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, FCG has experienced a loss of about -1.41%, and over the last 12 months, it is down approximately -8.13% as of July 14, 2025 [9]. - The fund has traded between $19.37 and $27.24 in the past 52 weeks [9]. Risk Assessment - FCG has a beta of 0.89 and a standard deviation of 30.27% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a higher risk profile compared to its peers [10]. - The fund holds about 41 positions, suggesting more concentrated exposure than other ETFs in the sector [10].