What this ETF is trying to do

The AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF (ticker: SPDV) is an exchange-traded fund. Based on its name, it focuses on companies within the S&P 500 that are considered "value" stocks and pay high dividends. This means the fund looks for established companies that share their profits with shareholders through regular cash payments.

What the numbers show

The data shows how the price of the ETF shares and the total value of an investment have moved over different periods. It is important to remember that price return only tracks the change in the share price, while total return includes both the share price change and the dividends paid out.

• Year-to-Date (YTD): The YTD price return is approximately 20.30%. When including distributions, the YTD total return is approximately 22.64%.

• One Year: The one-year price return is approximately 23.15%. The one-year total return is approximately 27.63%. To see how much the share price grew, we can look at the estimated price from roughly one year ago, which was about $33.85, compared to the current price of $41.68.

• Three Years: Over three years, the price return is approximately 47.51%, while the three-year total return is approximately 65.45%.

Income and distribution explanation

This ETF provides cash distributions to investors. The distribution yield is approximately 3.14%. This number describes the cash payments relative to the current ETF price. These distributions happen frequently; the data shows 12 payouts over the last year, usually occurring on a monthly basis. Most recently, Friday has been the most common day for these payments.

While distributions provide cash income, they are not the same as total return. A high yield does not guarantee that an investor's total investment will grow.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" refers to a situation where the value of the underlying assets in the fund decreases significantly. When an ETF's share price falls sharply, it can sometimes be a sign of this type of risk. However, for SPDV, the erosion-risk score is 100, and the label indicates "No price erosion detected." There is no severe erosion-risk flag for this ETF.

Top Holdings

The following are the top holdings in this portfolio. Please note that this list is a partial view of the total holdings:

• Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (2.38%)

• Accenture PLC (2.27%)

• Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc (2.07%)

• HP Inc (2.06%)

• Stanley Black & Decker Inc (2.04%)

• Avery Dennison Corp (2.03%)

• Automatic Data Processing Inc (1.96%)

• APA Corp (1.95%)

• Skyworks Solutions Inc (1.95%)

• Smurfit Westrock PLC (1.95%)

Holdings can change over time. This data was updated on August 21, 2026.

Pros

• The ETF has shown positive price returns and total returns over the last year and three years.

• It provides regular monthly cash distributions.

Cons

• As with all investments, share prices can change, and past performance does not guarantee future results.

Beginner takeaway

When looking at ETFs that pay dividends, it is important to look at both the price return and the total return. The total return gives a better picture of how much an investment actually grew because it includes the cash distributions you received. Also, keep an eye on the share price; income investors generally prefer funds where the price stays steady or grows, rather than funds that lose value quickly.