Given the current economic backdrop, increasing exposure to global equities can be a sound strategy. The S&P World Index, which tracks the performance of stocks from 24 developed economies, has risen 19.8% over the past year and 4.53% quarter to date.The legal uncertainty surrounding the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, a weakening greenback, and economic and political uncertainty are turning investors away from U.S. assets, driving them to diversify beyond the U.S. markets.Per data from LSEG Li ...

Making its debut on 08/13/2013, smart beta exchange traded fund Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF (FNDE) provides investors broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of re ...

Core Insights - The WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF (DFJ) offers investors exposure to small-cap dividend-paying companies in Japan, with a focus on smart beta strategies aimed at outperforming traditional market-cap weighted indexes [1][5][10] Fund Overview - DFJ was launched on June 16, 2006, and has accumulated over $320.9 million in assets, positioning it as an average-sized ETF within the Asia-Pacific (Developed) ETFs category [1][5] - The fund seeks to replicate the performance of the WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend Index, which includes small-cap companies that pay dividends [5] Cost Structure - DFJ has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.58%, which is competitive within its peer group [6] - The fund's 12-month trailing dividend yield stands at 2.26% [6] Holdings and Sector Exposure - The fund's assets are primarily denominated in US Dollars (71.72%), with significant holdings in Japanese Yen and Toyo Tire Co [7] - DFJ's top 10 holdings account for approximately 104.37% of its total assets, indicating a concentrated investment strategy [7] Performance Metrics - DFJ has experienced a year-to-date gain of 25.26% and a 19.63% increase over the past year, with trading prices ranging from $70.93 to $93.98 in the last 52 weeks [8] - The fund has a beta of 0.41 and a standard deviation of 15.67% over the trailing three-year period, categorizing it as a medium-risk investment [9] Competitive Landscape - Alternatives to DFJ include the JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF (BBJP) and the iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ), which have significantly larger asset bases of $13.96 billion and $15.65 billion, respectively [11] - BBJP has a lower expense ratio of 0.19%, while EWJ charges 0.50%, making them potentially more attractive options for cost-conscious investors [11]

Core Insights - The iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (SMLF) is designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend category and was launched on April 28, 2015 [1] - The fund is managed by Blackrock and has accumulated over $2.01 billion in assets, making it one of the larger ETFs in its category [5] - The fund seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA Small Cap Diversified Multiple-Factor Index before fees and expenses [5] Fund Characteristics - SMLF 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 has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.32% [6] - The ETF has a beta of 1.07 and a standard deviation of 20.90% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a higher risk profile [10] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has the largest allocation in the Industrials sector at approximately 18.9%, followed by Financials and Consumer Discretionary [7] - Emcor Group Inc (EME) accounts for about 1.04% of the fund's total assets, with Carvana Class A (CVNA) and Jabil Inc (JBL) also among the top holdings [8] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, SMLF has returned approximately 5.84%, and it is up about 13.29% over the last 12 months as of August 19, 2025 [9] - The fund has traded between $54.28 and $74.15 in the past 52 weeks [9] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the small-cap space include Vanguard Small-Cap ETF (VB) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), which have larger asset bases of $64.84 billion and $82.91 billion respectively [12] - VB has a lower expense ratio of 0.05%, while IJR has an expense ratio of 0.06% [12]

Core Insights - The First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend ETF (FDD) offers investors broad exposure to the European Equity ETFs market, having debuted on August 27, 2007 [1] - FDD is managed by First Trust Advisors and has accumulated over $606.5 million in assets, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in the European Equity category [5] - The fund aims to replicate the performance of the STOXX Europe Select Dividend 30 Index, which includes 30 high dividend-yielding securities from the STOXX Europe 600 Index [5] Fund Characteristics - FDD has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.59%, which is competitive within its peer group, and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.79% [6] - The top 10 holdings of FDD constitute approximately 43.77% of its total assets, with Aker Bp Asa being the largest holding at 5.92% [7][8] - The ETF has a beta of 0.84 and a standard deviation of 18.05% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, FDD has gained about 39.57%, and it has increased approximately 31.95% over the last 12 months as of July 31, 2025 [9] - The ETF has traded within a range of $11.07 to $16.13 over the past 52 weeks [9] Alternatives - For investors seeking to outperform the European Equity ETFs segment, alternatives such as iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (EZU) and Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) are available, with EZU having $7.89 billion in assets and VGK at $25.7 billion [12] - EZU has an expense ratio of 0.51%, while VGK has a notably lower expense ratio of 0.06% [12]

Core Insights - The FlexShares Morningstar Emerging Markets Factor Tilt ETF (TLTE) is designed to provide broad exposure to the emerging markets segment, launched on September 25, 2012 [1] - TLTE aims to match the performance of the Morningstar Emerging Markets Factor Tilt Index, focusing on small-cap and value stocks [5][6] Fund Overview - TLTE has assets exceeding $276.46 million, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF within the Broad Emerging Market ETFs [5] - The ETF has an annual operating expense of 0.57% and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.36% [7] Holdings and Sector Exposure - The top holding, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, constitutes approximately 4.47% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings representing about 16.11% of total assets [9] - TLTE provides diversified exposure, minimizing single stock risk, with daily disclosure of holdings [8] Performance Metrics - TLTE has gained about 18.32% year-to-date and approximately 17.45% over the past year, with a trading range between $46.89 and $60.69 in the last 52 weeks [11] - The fund has a beta of 0.64 and a standard deviation of 15.55% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [11] Alternatives in the Market - Other ETFs in the emerging markets space include Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) and iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG), with assets of $94.45 billion and $100.69 billion respectively [13] - VWO has a lower expense ratio of 0.07%, while IEMG charges 0.09% [13]