ETFdb Logo
ETFdb Logo
  • ETF Database
  • Channels
    • Active ETF
    • Beyond Basic Beta
    • China Insights
    • Climate Insights
    • Commodities
    • Core Strategies
    • Crypto
    • Direct Indexing
    • Disruptive Technology
    • Energy Infrastructure
    • ETF Building Blocks
    • ETF Education
    • ETF Strategist
    • Financial Literacy
    • Fixed Income
    • Gold/Silver/Critical Minerals
    • Innovative ETFs
    • Institutional Income Strategies
    • Leveraged & Inverse
    • Managed Futures
    • Market Insights
    • Modern Alpha
    • Multifactor
    • Night Effect
    • Portfolio Strategies
    • Responsible Investing
    • Retirement Income
    • Richard Bernstein Advisors
    • Tax Efficient Income
  • Tools
    • ETF Screener
    • ETF Country Exposure Tool
    • ETF Sector Tracker Tool
    • ETF Database Categories
    • Head-To-Head ETF Comparison Tool
    • ETF Stock Exposure Tool
    • ETF Issuer Fund Flows
    • Indexes
    • Mutual Fund To ETF Converter
  • Research
    • ETF Education
    • Equity Investing
    • Dividend ETFs
    • Leveraged ETFs
    • Inverse ETFs
    • Index Education
    • Index Insights
    • Top ETF Sectors
    • Top ETF Issuers
    • Top ETF Industries
  • Webcasts
  • Themes
    • AI ETFs
    • Blockchain ETFs
    • See all Thematic Investing ETF themes
    • ESG Investing
    • Marijuana ETFs
  • Multimedia
    • ETF 360 Video Series
    • ETF of the Week Podcast
    • ETF Prime Podcast
    • Video
  • Company
    • About VettaFi
    • Get VettaFi’ed
  • PRO
    • Pro Content
    • Pro Tools
    • Advanced
    • FAQ
    • Pricing
    • Free Sign Up
    • Login
  1. Dividends, Smart-Beta & Socially Responsible Investing Round out This Week’s Latest ETF Launches
News
Share

Dividends, Smart-Beta & Socially Responsible Investing Round out This Week’s Latest ETF Launches

Aaron LevittMar 10, 2016
2016-03-10

ETF issuers continue to add new twists to old themes with respect to their fresh product launches. ETF leader Vanguard, “vampire squid” investment bank Goldman Sachs and ETF creator State Street all released new funds in the past few weeks. These new funds all use smart-beta ideals to re-dice and re-index previously common themes. In this case, it’s developed-market stocks from around the world.

Applying Dividends to International Stocks With Vanguard

The Vanguard Dividend Growth (VIG A) and Vanguard High-Yield Dividend (VYM A+) ETFs are already two of the most popular products on the market with just over $30 billion in combined assets. However, the pair only focus on U.S. stocks. To fill that international gap, Vanguard introduced the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI A) and Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI B+) on February 25.

Like their domestic counterparts, VIGI and VYMI will track indexes of companies that steadily increase their dividends and that have higher than average yields. VIGI tracks the Nasdaq International Dividend Achievers Select Index and VYMI tracks the FTSE All-World ex-U.S. High Dividend Yield Index. These indexes take the previous VIG and VYM approaches and apply them to international stocks.

This international exposure includes both developed-market nations as well as emerging markets. That broader mandate to include emerging markets like India and China makes the funds unique and potentially a one-stop-shop for investors looking to add international dividends to their portfolio. That should help them garner assets and trading volumes rather quickly.

Expenses for VIGI run at 0.25%, or $25 per $10,000 invested, while VYMI charges 0.30% for the year.


Content continues below advertisement

Goldman Sachs Gets Fundamental

Investment bank and asset manager Goldman Sachs has been making a name for itself in the world of ETFs with a series of smart-beta launches that are actually “smart.” Its newest launches are the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Europe Equity ETF (GSEU A-) and the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Japan Equity ETF (GSJY A)

Launched on March 2, GSEU and GSJY will track proprietary smart-beta indexes: the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta European Equity Index and the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Japan Equity Index, respectively. These indexes will screen their respective regions for stocks that exhibit four distinct performance attributes that Goldman believes lead to outperformance over the long haul. These include value, strong momentum, high-quality and low-volatility fundamentals. This follows a similar approach that Goldman has used to launch funds relating to U.S. stocks.

Expenses for GSEU and GSJY both run at a cheap 0.25% per year.

A Quirky Socially Responsible Fund From State Street

Launching on March 7, right before International Women’s Day, State Street’s SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF (SHE B-) is an interesting foray into the word of socially responsible (SRI) or ESG investing. SRI has been gaining traction as many investors have been looking for ways to align their beliefs with their portfolios. While many SRI funds eliminate undesirable stocks based on certain criteria, such as firearms or tobacco production, SHE takes a slightly different approach.

The ETF will track the SSGA Gender Diversity Index. The benchmark is a measure of large-cap U.S. stocks that are considered gender-diverse. That means SHE’s underlying portfolio of stocks will have greater gender diversity in their senior leadership positions. Basically, there’s more women and transgender people sitting in their boardrooms.

Recent academic research shows that firms run by women or that have a greater number of women in senior positions perform slightly better than their counterparts on both return on equity as well as stock market returns.

SHE hopes to not only profit from this fact, but allow investors to support those firms that have a high impact on women’s rights. State Street will donate a portion of the ETF’s revenue to organizations that sponsor educational programs to remove bias and empower women in business roles. The ETF’s launch follows other SRI funds targeting the LGBT and disabled communities.

The expense ratio for SHE is just 0.20%.

» Popular Pages

  • Tickers
  • Articles

Jun 01

Mega-Caps for Mega Returns? The USMC ETF

Jun 01

When Broad Commodities Tumble, Consider Carbon Allowances

Jun 01

Hartford Rolls Out Active Core Bond ETF Strategy

Jun 01

Advisors Can Use Multifactor ETF ROUS to Take Smarter Risks

Jun 01

Currency-Hedged ETF DXJ Nears $2 Billion

Jun 01

Exchange Registration Now Open to Advisors

Jun 01

In Market Uncertainty, Play the Long Game Using Nationwide ETFs

Jun 01

CNBC Interviews John Davi About ETF Flows & AI

Jun 01

The Tech Sector Thumbs Its Nose at Higher Rates

Jun 01

Three Keys to Active ETF Investing in 2023

QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust

SPY

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

JEPI

JPMorgan Equity Premium...

VTI

Vanguard Total Stock Market...

VOO

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

VGT

Vanguard Information...

TLT

iShares 20+ Year Treasury...

BND

Vanguard Total Bond Market...

XLP

Consumer Staples Select...

BOTZ

Global X Robotics &...


Content continues below advertisement

Loading Articles...
Our Sites
  • VettaFi
  • Advisor Perspectives
  • ETF Trends
Tools
  • ETF Screener
  • Mutual Fund to ETF Converter
  • Head-To-Head ETF Comparison
  • ETF Country Exposure Tool
  • ETF Stock Exposure Tool
  • ETF Database Pro
More Tools
  • Financial Advisor & RIA Center
Explore ETFs
  • ETF News
  • ETF Category Reports
  • Premium Articles
  • Alphabetical Listing of ETFs
  • Browse ETFs by ETF Database Category
  • Browse ETFs by Index
  • Browse ETFs by Issuer
  • Compare ETFs
Information
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
  • © 2023 VettaFi LLC. All rights reserved.

Advertisement

Is Your Portfolio Positioned With Enough Global Exposure?

ETF Education Channel

How to Allocate Commodities in Portfolios

Tom LydonApr 26, 2022
2022-04-26

A long-running debate in asset allocation circles is how much of a portfolio an investor should...

Core Strategies Channel

Why ETFs Experience Limit Up/Down Protections

Karrie GordonMay 13, 2022
2022-05-13

In a digital age where information moves in milliseconds and millions of participants can transact...

}
X