At a glance
BGDV charges 0.45% a year, above the 0.18% average of the 4 funds most like it (the most expensive of 5). It has $804.8M in assets, the 5th largest of that group; it paid 0.26% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Its ten largest positions make up 38.2% of the fund, out of 52 in all.
The short version
Bahl & Gaynor Dividend ETF (BGDV) is an actively managed fund, launched December 11, 2024. As of June 30, 2026, it held 52 dividend-paying US-listed stocks picked by Bahl & Gaynor, Inc. It aims to grow dividend income over time and to hold up better than the broad stock market when prices fall. Its 0.45% expense ratio is the highest among similar dividend funds, which average 0.18%, and its track record is short.
Price history
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BGDV — over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGDV official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +10.36% | — | — | — | — |
| BGDV price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +2.8% | — | — | — | — | — |
- The deepest fall in its price history was 5.7% (Aug 13, 2026 to Sep 16, 2026), not yet recovered.
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
No distribution history is available for this fund.
Distributions through Oct 27, 2026.What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 52 securities; the ten largest made up 38.23% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| TSMC | 5.93% | |
| Western Digital Corp | 5.04% | |
| Broadcom Inc | 4.83% | |
| Eli Lilly & Co | 4.52% | |
| Alphabet Inc | 3.20% | |
| Amphenol Corp | 3.10% | |
| AbbVie Inc | 3.09% | |
| Motorola Solutions Inc | 2.93% | |
| Victory Capital Holdings Inc | 2.90% | |
| TJX Cos Inc | 2.70% | |
| Williams Cos Inc | 2.69% | |
| Targa Resources Corp | 2.49% | |
| Carrier Global Corp | 2.48% | |
| UnitedHealth Group Inc | 2.47% | |
| Snap-on Inc | 2.37% |
By country
United States 92.34%Taiwan 5.93%Italy 1.27%Ireland 0.51%By asset type
Stocks 99.93%Bonds and notes 0.12%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 67.7% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $1.8M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +9.63%, +0.86%, +2.38%.
How it works
BGDV doesn't track an index. Its adviser, Bahl & Gaynor, Inc., picks the stocks. At least 80% of net assets must be in dividend-paying securities, meaning companies that paid a dividend in the prior 12 calendar months. Holdings can include US common stocks, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs, which are US-traded shares of foreign companies) and REITs (real estate investment trusts, which own property and pay out most of their income). The adviser works bottom-up, studying one company at a time. It looks at earnings and dividend growth history, balance sheet strength, cash flow, competitive position and future dividend growth. It sizes each position based on its view of the company's fundamentals, its valuation and the economy.
The prospectus gives no fixed rebalancing schedule. The adviser generally sells a stock if its dividend is cut too far, if the business or management weakens, if the position grows larger than desired, or if a better opportunity turns up. Portfolio turnover was 32%. The fund doesn't target sectors, but as of March 31, 2026, it leaned toward industrials, financials and technology. As of June 30, 2026, the 10 largest positions made up about 38% of assets. The biggest was TSMC, held as an ADR, at 5.9%, followed by Western Digital at 5.0%, Broadcom at 4.8% and Eli Lilly at 4.5%. The fund held no derivatives and uses no options strategy.
What it really costs
- BGDV charges 0.45% a year, versus an average of 0.18% for the similar funds below (5th of 5, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $46 in the first year and $567 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGDV | $46 | $144 | $252 | $567 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its stated goal is long-term growth of dividend income, paid monthly, though the starting yield is modest.
BGDV launched in December 2024, so it has no record from the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. It returned 13.62% in 2025. Its weakest quarter was a 1.19% loss in early 2025. In the available price data, its deepest drop was 5.7%, from August 13 to September 16, 2026, and it had not fully recovered as of October 27, 2026. These were mild tests. The adviser's downside-protection goal hasn't been tested in a deep decline, which matters if you may need to sell shares in a bad year. The fund pays monthly. Its trailing yield was 0.26% as of October 27, 2026, but that figure rests on price data starting in June 2026. In the SEC's standard example, costs come to $46 in the first year on $10,000. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want a manager-picked, 52-stock dividend portfolio chosen for dividend growth, balance sheets and cash flow rather than an index.
- Investors who value monthly distributions and a stated goal of growing dividend income over time, rather than a high starting yield.
- Investors comfortable with tech-heavy top holdings like TSMC, Western Digital and Broadcom, alongside health care names Eli Lilly and AbbVie.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.45% expense ratio compares with 0.05% for VIG, 0.08% for DGRO and 0.28% for DGRW.
- Investors who want a long track record: launched in December 2024, BGDV hasn't been through a bear market like 2008 or 2022.
- Investors who need high current income: the trailing yield was 0.26% as of October 27, 2026, though price history behind it is limited.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGDV this fund | — | 0.45% | $804.8M | — | — |
| CGDV Capital Group Dividend Value ETF | 29% | 0.33% | $38.69B | +15.6% | +23.9% |
| VIG Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | 27% | 0.05% | $130.90B | +15.6% | +19.8% |
| DGRW WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth Fund | 23% | 0.28% | $16.60B | +11.7% | +17.0% |
| DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 22% | 0.08% | $42.77B | +21.8% | +20.6% |
Questions investors ask
Does BGDV pay monthly dividends?
Yes. BGDV pays distributions monthly. It paid about $0.08 per share over the trailing 12 months, for a yield of 0.26% as of October 27, 2026. Treat that yield with care: the price history behind it starts in June 2026, and the fund aims for dividend income that grows over time rather than a high starting payout.
What is the BGDV expense ratio?
BGDV's expense ratio is 0.45%, all of it management fee, with no fee waiver, according to the prospectus filed April 22, 2026. In the SEC's standard example ($10,000 invested, 5% annual return), costs come to about $46 after one year, $252 after five years and $567 after ten. That makes it the costliest of the five funds compared here, where the average is 0.18%.
BGDV vs CGDV: what's the difference?
Both own dividend-paying stocks, and about 29% of their holdings overlap, the most of any similar fund. CGDV charges 0.33%, compared with BGDV's 0.45%. It is also far larger, with about $38.7 billion in net assets versus about $805 million for BGDV. CGDV returned 15.9% over the year to October 30, 2026. BGDV doesn't yet have a comparable one-year price record.
What are BGDV's top holdings?
As of June 30, 2026, BGDV's largest holdings were Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) at 5.9%, Western Digital at 5.0%, Broadcom at 4.8%, Eli Lilly at 4.5%, Alphabet at 3.2%, Amphenol at 3.1% and AbbVie at 3.1%. The fund held 52 stocks, and its 10 largest made up about 38% of assets. About 92% was in US companies and about 6% in Taiwan.
Is BGDV a good dividend ETF for retirement?
It may suit some retirees who want monthly income that a manager aims to grow over time, but its record is short. BGDV launched in December 2024. It returned 13.62% in 2025, and its worst quarter was a 1.19% loss. It hasn't been tested in a severe bear market, and its 0.45% fee is higher than similar funds such as VIG and DGRO.