Is ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) made its debut on 02/03/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value category of the market.

Zacks Investment Research • Dec 10, 2025

SMDV: Low Valuation And Volatility, Weak Performance

The Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF offers a defensive, income-focused small-cap strategy with a strong tilt toward financials, utilities, and industrials. SMDV trades at an 11% P/E discount to the Russell 2000, boasts a 2.6% yield, and demonstrates superior profitability metrics but lags in sales growth. Performance has consistently trailed the Russell 2000 and peers, with limited upside capture in rallies.

Seeking Alpha • Dec 5, 2025

3 Simple ETFs to Buy With $1,000 and Hold for a Lifetime

First and foremost, take on exposure to the broad market. Technology stocks are likely to continue leading the market, but not all technology funds are built the same.

The Motley Fool • Nov 12, 2025

SMDV Is A Dividend ETF That Makes Sense

ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF offers unique exposure to small-cap companies with a decade-long record of dividend growth. SMDV's equal-weighted approach and sector caps provide diversification, though it has heavy exposure to Financials and Utilities. While SMDV has lagged large-cap dividend ETFs and the S&P 500, it may benefit from improved M&A activity and potential rotation into small caps.

Seeking Alpha • Nov 2, 2025

SMDV: A Sector-Heavy Play On Small-Cap Dividend Growth

SMDV is comprised of 107 Russell 2000 Index stocks with 10+ years of consecutive increasing dividend payments. Its expense ratio is 0.40% and the ETF has $648 million in AUM. SMDV is highly concentrated in the Financials, Utilities, and Industrials sectors. Its Index caps sector weights at 30%, but SMDV remains a poorly diversified product. Historically, that's led to inconsistent returns. SMDV has performed reasonably well in the last year and since its inception in 2015, but returns since 2019 have been extremely weak.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 1, 2025

SMDV: Suboptimal Dividend Strategy For Tumultuous Times

SMDV offers exposure to the Russell 2000 constituents that have been consistently growing their dividends for at least 10 years. Since my previous article, SMDV has significantly underperformed the S&P 500 index, with financials being among the key detractors. Its long-term returns are soft as well. Quality remains questionable, as only 35% of the holdings have a B- Quant Profitability rating or higher.

Seeking Alpha • Apr 14, 2025

6 Dividend Growth ETFs to Buy

Dividend growth outperforms the market over time and helps portfolios beat inflation. These dividend growth ETFs give investors the chance to buy the strategy at low cost.

Kiplinger • Feb 7, 2025

SMDV Has High Exposure In Banks And Lags Competitors

ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF has a portfolio of 99 small-cap dividend growers. SMDV is diversified across holdings thanks to its equal-weight methodology, but overweight in financials, especially banks. SMDV beats its parent index in risk-adjusted return and has attractive dividend growth rate.

Seeking Alpha • Dec 11, 2024

SMDV: Fundamentally Unattractive DGI Strategy Despite Performance Surprise

SMDV oversees a portfolio of 100 SMID stocks that have at least 10 years of dividend growth in the books. The methodology has nuances, though. Regional bank stocks boosted SMDV's returns in July, allowing it to outperform the S&P 500 index marginally since the previous analysis. However, fundamentally, nothing has changed about this vehicle. Its quality characteristics remain pronouncedly weak, while growth is soft.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 19, 2024

5 Dividend ETFs Crushing the Market

Amid the growing anxiety about a slowing U.S. economy, geopolitical tensions and the looming November elections, the appeal for dividend investing has returned. We have highlighted several reasons why dividend investing seems to be a viable strategy amid the market turmoil.

Zacks Investment Research • Aug 12, 2024