MDLV vs WTV

MDLVCMorgan Dempsey Large Cap Value ETF

WTVAWisdomTree U.S. Value Fund

In short

MDLV An income-first value book in ETF form: a few dozen hand-picked dividend payers, mostly $25B-plus companies. Where much of US large value runs on rules, this one runs on one team's judgment.

WTV Most value funds shop for low price tags. WTV shops for cash coming back to shareholders: dividends plus net buybacks, filtered for quality and profitability. Actively run, priced like an index fund at 0.12%.

Stated mandate

MDLV The Fund seeks high current income and long-term capital appreciation.

WTV The fund seeks income and capital appreciation through primarily U.S. equities selected for high total shareholder yield and favorable relative quality characteristics.

Why people hold it

• MDLV The objective names high current income first, long-term growth second. Built from dividend payers the sub-adviser judges attractively valued, and it pays quarterly.alphaarchitect.com
• Genuinely active and genuinely concentrated: generally 30 to 75 stocks, so individual picks carry real weight instead of being diluted across hundreds of names.alphaarchitect.com
• Clear size discipline: at least 80% of net assets in companies above $25 billion, weighted average market cap typically $50 billion or larger, with room down to $3 billion.alphaarchitect.com

• WTV Charges 0.12% a year, under a quarter of the 0.55% typical for active US value funds, and less than every same-benchmark rival in its group (JAVA 0.44%, CGVV 0.33%, TEQI 0.54%).
• "Value" here means cash returned: dividend yield plus net buyback yield, with quality and profitability screens, rather than a plain low price-to-book sort.wisdomtree.com
• About 160 US stocks, a multi-billion-dollar asset base, and a live track record dating to 2007. Distributions land quarterly.

Worth knowing

• MDLV At 0.58% the fee sits near the category median, but cheaper tickets exist in the group: WTV at 0.12%, AVLV at 0.15%, DFLV at 0.21%.
• Small fund, light trading. Spreads can be wider than on category heavyweights, which makes execution more of a factor.
• Concentration cuts both ways. With a few dozen names and an income tilt, results track one team's stock calls rather than a broad value index.alphaarchitect.com

• WTV Full equity with no downside cushion, and a value tilt that can lean into a handful of sectors. Risk is the least polished part of the profile.
• Rules-based active, not an index tracker, so results can diverge from the Russell 1000 Value in either direction.
• Buybacks supply much of the shareholder yield, and companies can scale repurchases back more easily than they cut dividends.wisdomtree.com

Full MDLV profile⁠

Full WTV profile⁠