First Trust STOXX® European Sel Div ETF's Average People Pillar and Process Pillar ratings result in a Morningstar Medalist Rating of Neutral. The portfolio maintains a cost advantage over competitors, priced within the second-cheapest fee quintile among peers.  

 The strategy’s management team earns an Average People Pillar rating. The strategy gets an Average Process Pillar rating.  High liquidity exposure is attributed to stocks with a high trading volume, lending managers more flexibility. And a high yield exposure is rooted in holding high dividend-paying or buyback stocks. The strategy's parent organization earns the firm an Average Parent Pillar rating. People Pillar and Parent Pillar ratings for this strategy are indirectly assigned by a Morningstar analyst rather than algorithmically derived. Please see the notes following each pillar section for more details. The details of assigning methods can be found in each pillar section.

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Morningstar's evaluation of this security's process aims to determine the likelihood that it will outperform its Morningstar Category index on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. First Trust STOXX® European Select DivFd earns an Average Process Pillar rating. 

The primary contributor to the rating is that this fund tracks an index. Historical data, such as Morningstar's Active/Passive Barometer, finds that passively managed funds have generally outperformed their active counterparts, especially over longer time horizons. The process is limited by the fund's mediocre long-term risk-adjusted performance. This can be seen in its five-year alpha calculated relative to the category index, which suggests that the process has struggled over that period.

 This strategy tends to hold smaller, more undervalued companies than its average peer in the Europe Stock Morningstar Category. Analyzing additional factors, this strategy has consistently tilted toward companies with relatively higher trading volumes in the last few years. More-liquid assets contribute to more-flexible exit strategies without price changes and tend to be a ballast during market selloffs. For example, if the portfolio faces successive redemptions in a short period of time, it will be less likely to experience a significant loss. In recent months, the strategy was more exposed to the Liquidity factor compared with its Morningstar Category peers as well. This strategy's portfolio also has had exposure to more stocks with high dividend or buyback yields over peers in these years. Higher-yield stocks can provide dependable income, but also have their risks. Dividend payers may cut payouts, for instance, if their earnings fall. Compared with category peers, the strategy also had more exposure to the Yield factor in the most recent month. This strategy also has tilted toward low-quality stocks, companies with higher financial leverage and lower profitability over these years.  Lacking this ballast, the fund's prospects will rest on its ability to surpass peers during economic booms. In recent months, the strategy also had less Quality factor exposure than its peers. More information on a fund and its respective category's factor exposure can be found in the Factor Profile module within the Portfolio section. 

 The portfolio is overweight in financial services and basic materials relative to the category average by 14.3 and 12.5 percentage points, respectively. The sectors with low exposure compared to category peers are healthcare and consumer defensive, underweight the average by 12.8 and 11.9 percentage points of assets, respectively. The portfolio is composed of 33 holdings and is relatively concentrated. Specifically, 43.5% of the strategy's assets are housed within the top 10 holdings, as opposed to the typical peer's 19.5%.

Average

Process

First Trust’s equity team is valuable but does not stand out as one of the industry's best, warranting an Average People Pillar rating. There’s a deep bench of seven managers listed on the fund. The team is well equipped, with an average of 20 years of portfolio management experience. Together, they manage a total of 107 strategies, with a Bronze asset-weighted average Morningstar Medalist Rating, demonstrating their potential to deliver positive alpha relative to the category median in aggregate. This group has had relatively low management turnover, providing a stable environment and continuity for the strategies. 

 Note: This People Pillar rating is indirectly assigned by an analyst. Morningstar analysts evaluate the People Pillar for passive products at the brand level and may also differentiate by asset class. There is at least one other passive strategy at the firm that is covered by a Morningstar analyst, so the People Pillar rating of the fund is inherited from the rating that the Morningstar analyst assigned to investment vehicles under the same brand name.

People

First Trust meets the industry standard for stewardship, but it could do more to align itself with investors. It earns an Average Parent rating.

This is a team-oriented organization that eschews star managers. While exchange-traded funds represent the bulk of the firm's assets, First Trust bypasses the competitive market for low-cost beta funds, instead opting for complex strategies with higher management fees. However, the firm's focus on ETFs for future product development underpins its commitment to tax efficiency and transparency. Some of its thematic strategies appear trendy, but it stands behind them and rarely liquidates funds. 

The firm is a private partnership, controlled by Jim Bowen, the CEO. Many senior managers are limited partners. This ownership structure helps the firm stay focused on the long term and promotes retention, which has been strong for the investment team. The firm has grown considerably over the past decade and is among the largest providers of actively managed ETFs, as well as unit investment trusts. As it has grown, the firm has expanded its investment team and beefed up its technology infrastructure.

First Trust's focus is on educating advisors and providing them solutions. This may benefit investors indirectly, but First Trust could do more to directly align with investors by cutting fees and limiting trendy strategies.

Parent

First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund

FDD tracks a dividend-weighted index of 30 high-dividend-yielding stocks selected from the STOXX Europe 600 Index.

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Slowing inflation, a cooling labour market, and lower expected corporate revenues make a peak in wage growth before the middle of next year likely. While the European Central Bank waits for clarity, this should open the door to earlier rate cuts than currently expected.

Eurozone Wage Growth Is Set To Peak Soon

After hitting a new all-time high in February, the FTSE has struggled to find any sustainable support, hurt by concerns over China, the UK's struggling economy, and high interest rates across the world. We have had some positive data out of China, the UK, and the US this week, which may mean the worst days are behind us.

FTSE Lags EU And U.S. Markets, But Time For Catch Up With Global Indices?

Real GDP growth was minus one percent for the third quarter, while the PMI Index, a measure of economic health, has been in contractionary territory since the middle of this summer. Draghi's concerns about the Eurozone's economic prospects center on the fear that the region is falling further behind both the US and China in terms of global competitiveness.

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Rising wages and higher incomes are boosting Europe's economic recovery, but policymakers may face challenges due to population aging and shrinking workforce. Demographics and shorter working weeks mean employers face fierce competition to find qualified workers and must pay more to retain them.

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Eurozone growth turned negative in the third quarter and the next two quarters don't look very promising either. With inflation declining, the case for an additional rate hike is disappearing.

The Eurozone Is Flirting With Recession

Businesses report a slight tick-up in selling price expectations, but hard data still looks benign. Decline in the Economic Sentiment Indicator in October came as no surprise after the PMI had already dropped further into contraction territory.

Eurozone Economy Braces Itself For Prolonged Sluggishness

The European Central Bank increasingly seems to embrace the idea that the peak in policy rates has already been reached. After 10 consecutive hikes, the ECB's decision to leave policy rates unchanged should have been an easy one.

ECB: A Dovish Pause Now, A Peak Soon

With the exception of a brief period of growth during the opening quarter of 2023, euro area manufacturing output has decreased continuously since the middle of 2022. The downturn in new orders and the accelerated depletion of backlogs of orders prompted firms to reduce employment for the first time since January 2021.

Rising Recession Risks As Eurozone Flash PMI Falls In October, Price Pressures Ease Further

If anything, developments since the September meeting have made it even easier for the European Central Bank to pause at its next meeting. As much as the ECB has tried to keep the door to further rate hikes open since the September decision, recent developments have clearly complicated this position.

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Tighter monetary policy is starting to work. Alternatives would be more costly. So far, so good. These words are probably a fair assessment of Europe's progress thus far in its struggle against inflation.

Europe Must Succeed In Restoring Price Stability

Eurozone business activity remained in contraction at the end of the third quarter of the year, as an increased rate of loss of orders led to a further decline in activity. The overall reduction in output was again led by manufacturing, but the service sector saw activity decrease for the second month running.

Eurozone Flash PMI Fuels Further Downturn Worries As Demand Weakness Intensifies

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The dividend ETFs are available at sale and can bought now to ride out the current tumultuous time.

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The ECB just announced its tenth consecutive policy rate hike since July last year, hiking all interest rates by 25bp. Higher inflation and inflation forecasts look like the main drivers of the hike.

ECB Announces Final Rate Hike

First Trust STOXX® European Select Dividend Index Fund ETF picks 30 European stocks with high yields relative to country averages. The FDD ETF is overweight in financials and the top countries are the UK and France. The yield and valuation ratios look good, but historical performance and dividend growth are underwhelming.

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Inflation in the eurozone did not fall in August, which could tip the ECB in favour of a final 25bp hike at the governing council meeting in two weeks' time. Still, overall inflation dynamics remain relatively benign, and we still expect inflation to trend much lower at the end of the year.

Eurozone Inflation Stagnates Ahead Of ECB September Meeting

Eurozone business activity contracted at an accelerating pace in August, according to the latest flash PMI survey data. The overall rate of input cost inflation and selling prices remained indicative of consumer price inflation running at an annual rate of 3% in the coming months.

Eurozone Downturn Deepens According To Flash PMI But Inflation Pressures Tick Higher

Another weak PMI for the eurozone confirms a sluggish economy with recession as a downside risk. Inflation pressures for services remain stubborn as wage pressures continue to be a concern.

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As the ECB has been putting increasing emphasis on the recent readings of underlying inflation, it is more important to look at the short-term dynamics than at the year-on-year figures. While some easing of inflationary tensions is indeed observable, it would be premature to exclude another rate hike.

The 'Real' Dynamics Of Core Inflation In The Eurozone

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The CPI for services spiked by 5.6% in July, compared to a year ago, up from 5.4% in June and 5.0% in May, another record in the data going back to 1997, according to Eurostat today. “Core” CPI (without food and energy products that consumers buy) remained at 5.5% in July, same as in June, and up from 5.3% in May.

Runaway Services Inflation In Euro Area Spikes To Record. Core CPI Stays Near Record

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The seasonally adjusted HCOB Flash Eurozone Composite PMI Output Index, based on approximately 85% of usual survey responses, dropped from 49.9 in June to 48.9 in July, its lowest since last November. The dearth of new orders meant backlogs of work fell at an increased rate as companies often relied on previously placed orders to support current operating levels.

Eurozone Flash PMI Signals Cooling Inflation Amid Rising Recession Risks

Higher interest rates soon would prevent more economic pain later. The European Central Bank could prevent inflation expectations from becoming unmoored and drifting upwards by continuing to raise its policy rate.

Europe Should Tighten Monetary Policy Further

The European Central Bank looks set to hike rates by 25bp on Thursday. With the bleak economic outlook and disinflation gaining traction, however, the end to rate hikes is near.

News for First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund ETF (FDD)