ETF Evaluator:
WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Small Value Over the Last Year
| 46.7% | Harbor SMID Cap Value ETF (EPSV) |
| 45.4% | EA Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value ETF (BSVO) |
| 44.7% | Invesco S&P SmallCap 600® Pure Value ETF (RZV) |
| 43.5% | Avantis US Small Cap Equity ETF (AVSC) |
| 43.0% | Vanguard Russell 2000 Value ETF (VTWV) |
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ETF Details
WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF Overview
WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Small Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). WisdomTree launched the ETF in 2006.
The investment seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 95% of the fund's total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in constituent securities of the index and investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of such constituent securities. The index is a fundamentally weighted index measuring the performance of the small-capitalization segment of the U.S. dividend-paying market. The fund is non-diversified.
About WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.14 years: Marlene Walker-Smith (2020), David France (2021), Todd Frysinger (2021), Vlasta Sheremeta (2021) and Michael Stoll (2021). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI USA IMI NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and WisdomTree SmallCap Dividend TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF has 522 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 9.6% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF has 0.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 99.1% There is 0.9% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $2 billion in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Small Value category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
DES Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Small Value category. WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF has an expense ratio of 0.38%, which is 20% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 40%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 61% for the Small Value category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF returned 5.9%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Small Value category had an average return of 4.6%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF has a trailing yield of 2.26%, which is above the 1.78% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 22.7%, 4.6 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 31.1% over the past year (grade of C), 15.3% over the past three years (grade of C) and 8.0% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 8.5% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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DES Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| DES Return (NAV) | 5.9% | 13.8% | 31.1% | 15.3% | 8.0% | 8.5% |
| DES Return (Price) | 6.1% | 13.9% | 31.4% | 15.4% | 8.0% | 8.5% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.165% | -0.107% | -0.372% | -0.046% | -0.037% | -0.002% |
| Small Value Avg | 4.6% | 13.4% | 30.2% | 15.0% | 8.0% | 10.5% |
| DES Grade (NAV) | B | C | C | C | C | F |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 0.4% | -0.0% | -2.0% |
| DES Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
DES Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DES Return (NAV) | 22.7% | 0.3% | 9.8% | 16.4% | -10.9% | 26.7% | -4.4% | 20.3% | -12.8% | 8.7% | 31.1% |
| DES Return (Price) | 22.7% | 0.3% | 9.9% | 16.5% | -11.0% | 26.5% | -4.3% | 20.3% | -12.8% | 8.6% | 31.4% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.002% | 0.016% | 0.015% | 0.003% | 0.003% | -0.009% | -0.036% | -0.3% | 0.6% | -0.6% | 1.1% |
| Small Value Avg | 18.1% | 6.8% | 7.8% | 17.3% | -10.6% | 32.4% | 3.3% | 21.6% | -12.0% | 9.8% | 29.7% |
| DES Grade (NAV) | B | F | B | C | C | F | F | D | C | C | B |
| +/- Category | 4.6% | -6.5% | 2.0% | -0.8% | -0.3% | -5.7% | -7.7% | -1.2% | -0.7% | -1.1% | 1.3% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.86 |
| R-Squared: | 39% |
| Standard Deviation: | 18.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.97 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.48 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 2.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 2,186 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 2,186 Mil |
| Turnover: | 40.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.38% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI USA IMI NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 5.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 5.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Walker-Smith Marlene (2020), France David (2021), Frysinger Todd (2021), Sheremeta Vlasta (2021), Stoll Michael (2021) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 522 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 9.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 99.1% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | WisdomTree |
| Phone Number: | 866-909-9473 |
| Website: | www.wisdomtree.com |
| Inception Date: | June 16, 2006 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.38% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.47% |
