Should You Invest in the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX ETF (FXO)?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Financials - Broad segment of the equity market, look no further than the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX ETF (FXO), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Financials - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 12, placing it in bottom 25%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $2.17 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Financials - Broad segment of the equity market. FXO seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Financials Index before fees and expenses.
The StrataQuant Financials Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
Costs
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.62%, making it one of the more expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.36%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Financials sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Evercore Inc. (EVR) accounts for about 1.81% of total assets, followed by Onemain Holdings, Inc. (OMF) and Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 17.39% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added about 5.44% and was up about 4.32% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 03/08/2023), respectively. FXO has traded between $36.81 and $47.07 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.13 and standard deviation of 34.65% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 102 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Financials AlphaDEX ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, FXO is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Financials ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Financials 25/50 Index and the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) tracks Financial Select Sector Index. Vanguard Financials ETF has $8.78 billion in assets, Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF has $32.68 billion. VFH has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLF charges 0.10%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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First Trust Financials AlphaDEX ETF (FXO): ETF Research Reports
Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Evercore Inc (EVR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF): ETF Research Reports
Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH): ETF Research Reports
OneMain Holdings, Inc. (OMF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
