Description

This passively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) aims to provide investors with exposure to 100 large and mid-sized companies located in developed markets. These selected firms are expected to maintain and increase their dividend distributions. The fund leverages a smart beta investment strategy, guided by a proprietary, rules-based index methodology, to capture targeted strategic factors. Its investment universe initially consists of 1,000 stocks from developed countries, explicitly excluding Canada and the U.S. Stocks are then rigorously screened using a composite factor score, which is a weighted blend of dividend yield (70%), payout ratio (15%), and dividend growth (15%). To counteract any size-related bias, this composite score is integrated with a size factor. Within specific sector and country combinations, individual securities are chosen based on their size-adjusted composite score. Groups demonstrating higher dividend yields receive an overweighting in the portfolio, while those with lower yields are underweighted. The index is rebalanced once a year, specifically on the third Friday of February.