Is ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Making its debut on 06/28/2013, smart beta exchange traded fund ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) provides investors broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.

However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Alps. It has amassed assets over $565.92 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index.

The S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index identifies five high yielding securities, based on regular cash dividends, in each of the ten Global Industry Classification Standard sectors and is rebalanced quarterly.

Cost & Other Expenses

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.50% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

IDOG's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.21%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.

When you look at individual holdings, Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SIA) accounts for about 2.28% of the fund's total assets, followed by Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Banco Bpm Spa (BAMI).

The top 10 holdings account for about 21.7% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has added roughly 16.65% and is up roughly 28.57% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 08/13/2026), respectively. IDOG has traded between $35.17 and $44.22 during this last 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.58 and standard deviation of 14.21% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 51 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (VYMI) tracks FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index and the Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF) tracks Russell RAFI Developed ex US Large Co. Index (Net). Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares has $21.24 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $25.83 billion. VYMI has an expense ratio of 0.07% and FNDF changes 0.25%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Value ETF

Bottom Line

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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