Is State Street SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Making its debut on 01/26/2011, smart beta exchange traded fund State Street SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) provides investors broad exposure to the Communication Services ETFs category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.Fund Sponsor & IndexThe fund is managed by State Street Investment Management, and has been able to amass over $202.69 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Communication Services ETFs. XTL, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the S&P Telecom Select Industry Index.The S&P Telecom Select Industry Index is one of nineteen S&P Select Industry Indices, each designed to measure the performance of a narrow sub-industry or group of sub-industries as defined by the GICS.Companies in the Select Industry Indices are classified based primarily on revenues; however, earnings and market perception are also considered. The Telecom Index is a modified equal weight index.Cost & Other ExpensesSince cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for XTL, making it on par with most peer products in the space.XTL's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 1.12%.Top HoldingsMost 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.XTL's heaviest allocation is in the Energy sector, which is about 0% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Materials round out the top three.When you look at individual holdings, Ast Spacemobile Inc (ASTS) accounts for about 7.32% of the fund's total assets, followed by Ondas Holdings Inc (ONDS) and Ciena Corp (CIEN).The top 10 holdings account for about 42.55% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskThe ETF return is roughly 38.23% so far this year and is up about 37.48% in the last one year (as of 11/11/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $86.93 and $155.49The fund has a beta of 1.13 and standard deviation of 23.08% for the trailing three-year period, which makes XTL a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 42 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers .AlternativesState Street SPDR S&P Telecom ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Communication Services ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Telecommunication Services 25/50 Index and the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC) tracks COMMUNICATION SERVICES SELECT SECTOR IND. Vanguard Communication Services ETF has $5.69 billion in assets, Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF has $25.84 billion. VOX has an expense ratio of 0.09% and XLC changes 0.08%.Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Communication Services ETFsBottom LineTo 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.Boost Your Portfolio with Our Top ETF InsightsZacks' exclusive Fund Newsletter delivers actionable information, top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, straight to your inbox every week.Don’t miss out on this valuable resource. It’s free!Get it now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report State Street SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks