Key Points
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The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF is a low-cost dividend index fund.
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It provides exposure to the highest-paying dividend stocks in the S&P 500.
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With a 0.07% expense ratio, it’s a smart way to create passive income and strong total return potential.
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There are dozens of excellent dividend-focused ETFs in the stock market, but one that could be especially appealing to long-term income investors is the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT: SPYD).
As the name suggests, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF is an index fund that focuses on S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) companies with above-average dividend yields. It has a rock-bottom fee structure and could be an excellent way to get both growth and income potential in your portfolio without excessive volatility.
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The top quintile of S&P 500 dividend stocks
Many investors don’t realize it, but more than 80% of the stocks in the S&P 500 pay dividends. As of this writing, 408 of the 502 stocks in the index pay regular dividends. (Note: There are slightly more than 500 stocks because some stocks, like Alphabet, have more than one share class.)
The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF is an index fund that tracks the 80 highest-yielding companies in the S&P 500. The cutoff to be among the top 80 is a dividend yield of roughly 3.7%, although this isn’t always the case due to share price fluctuations and other factors.
Here’s a look at some of the fund’s largest holdings:
|
Company (Symbol) |
% of the SPYD ETF |
Current Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
|
Phillip Morris |
1.85% |
3% |
|
Hasbro |
1.77% |
3.6% |
|
Franklin Resources |
1.58% |
5.3% |
|
AT&T |
1.58% |
4.1% |
|
Crown Castle |
1.57% |
4% |
|
AES |
1.54% |
5.1% |
Data source: State Street. Table by author.
Over the past 12 months, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF has a distribution yield of about 4.5%, making it one of the higher-paying dividend ETFs in the market. It has a rock-bottom 0.07% expense ratio, which means that for every $1,000 you invest in the fund, your annual investment costs are just $0.70. To be clear, this isn’t a fee you have to pay — it will simply be reflected in the performance over time.
Speaking of performance, since the fund’s 2015 inception, it has delivered an annualized total return of about 8.5%. That’s somewhat lower than the S&P 500 as a whole, but keep in mind that the S&P’s total returns have been largely fueled by megacap tech stocks (which aren’t included in this fund), and that many high-dividend stocks have far more consistent cash flows and less volatility, so there’s a bit of a trade-off.
In a nutshell, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF is a low-volatility way to achieve solid total returns and a consistent income stream over time.
Why buy the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF?
This is an excellent ETF for income-seeking investors who also worry about capital preservation, but who don’t want to simply put their money in fixed-income instruments like a bond ETF. It might not be the best fit for investors looking to grow their portfolio more aggressively.
It’s worth noting that although the S&P 500 is near an all-time high, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF is still about 8% below its peak. However, a falling interest rate environment, like most experts believe will happen over the next couple of years, could disproportionately benefit high dividend stocks.
I don’t want to turn this into a math lesson, but the general idea is that as risk-free interest rates fall (like Treasury yields), the yields of other income-focused instruments like high dividend stocks tend to fall as well. Since yield and price have an inverse relationship, this could cause shares of the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF to gravitate higher.
In short, this is an excellent income ETF to hold for the long term, and now could be an opportune time to buy before the Federal Reserve starts lowering rates.
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Matt Frankel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Crown Castle. The Motley Fool recommends Hasbro and Philip Morris International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
