
This offering, known as the First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund, operates as an exchange-traded fund (ETF). Its fundamental purpose is to closely mirror the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders IndexSM, aiming to match both its price movements and dividend generation as accurately as possible before factoring in the fund's own fees and expenses.
Is FDL's expense ratio expensive, average, or a steal for its category?
Pro reveals the verdict on a 5-tier spectrum calibrated against ICI 2025 industry averages, with strategy-aware bands so the comparison is meaningful.

Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) sent shockwaves through the media landscape with the announcement that it would spin off its media business today. The telecommunications giant will divest its traditional cable television networks, namely NBCUniversal and Sky, into a standalone, publicly traded company.

Building a retirement portfolio in today's market? Here's a balanced ETF mix featuring dividends, short-term bonds, global stocks and commodities.

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, look no further than the First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on March 9, 2006.

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index ETF offers high yield but lacks compelling quality and growth potential versus peers. FDL's methodology focuses on top 100 dividend yielders with basic quality screens, excluding REITs and capping individual weights. Recent index changes and corporate actions reduced FDL's holdings to 85, but reconstitution should restore the count to 100.

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund offers a 3.87% SEC yield, targeting large-cap, established dividend payers with moderate valuation multiples. FDL's value-oriented sector allocation contrasts sharply with the tech-heavy S&P 500, positioning it for potential mean reversion and defensive income. Despite underperforming the S&P 500 over the past decade, FDL's yield and sector mix make it attractive in times of elevated market valuations and sector imbalances.