ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF

ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (SDOG) tracks the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index. The index holds the five highest-yielding stocks in each of ten sectors of a 500-largest-stocks US benchmark, in equal amounts. Picking sector by sector keeps the fund from piling into a few high-yield industries. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it yielded 3.38%, paid quarterly. Its 0.36% expense ratio is close to the 0.34% average of similar dividend funds.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, SDOG returned +24.8%, 3rd of 9 among similar funds.
• Its 5-year annualized return was +11.1% and its 10-year +10.2%.
• In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 42.3% and regained its old high 8.1 months after the low.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2018 (-11.4%); its best was 2013 (+34.2%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 43.6% (Jan 16, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Jan 6, 2021.

As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 50 securities; the ten largest made up 22.88% of assets.

By sector

• Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $31.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.77%, +4.73%, +2.08%.

SDOG is an index fund. Its adviser, ALPS Advisors, Inc., aims to match the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index before fees rather than pick stocks. The index starts with the S-Network US Equity WR Large-Cap 500 Index, a benchmark of the 500 largest US stocks. It sorts them into sectors using the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), a common system for grouping companies by business, and leaves out real estate. In each of the ten remaining sectors, it picks the five stocks with the highest dividend yield. Yield here means the last 12 months of regular cash dividends divided by the share price, measured on the last business day of November.

That normally gives 50 stocks, each held in an equal amount. If a sector has fewer than five qualifying stocks, only those are included. The stock list is rebuilt once a year on the third Friday of December, and the index is rebalanced every quarter. Equal weighting means a smaller company counts as much as a giant one. As of August 31, 2026, the largest position, Genuine Parts, made up only 2.5% of the fund.

Because the fund follows fixed rules, it would not sell a struggling company unless the index dropped it. A high yield can be a sign of a falling share price, and companies may cut their dividends. The prospectus reports portfolio turnover of 51%. As of August 31, 2026, the fund held stocks directly and used no derivatives.

• SDOG charges 0.36% a year, versus an average of 0.34% for the similar funds below (5th of 9, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $37 in the first year and $455 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

SDOG offers a 3.38% trailing yield paid quarterly from 50 dividend stocks spread across ten sectors, but it still carries the full price swings of stocks.

SDOG could serve as the income piece of a stock allocation. It yielded 3.38% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, and charges 0.36% a year. It does not cushion crashes. It launched in 2012, so it has no record from the 2008 crisis. In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 42.3% in about a month, then recovered by November 2020. In 2022 it fell 19.8% between April and September and took about four months to recover. Its worst calendar year was 2018, at -11.3%. Someone drawing money in a bad year might have to sell shares at low prices, and companies can cut dividends. Over the 10 years to December 31, 2025, it also trailed the S&P 500: 9.57% a year versus 14.82%. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.