What this ETF is trying to do

The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (ticker: DIA) is an exchange-traded fund designed to track the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This means it invests in a group of large, well-known companies. The fund currently holds 31 different companies.

What the numbers show

The data shows that DIA has experienced growth in both its share price and its total return.

• Price Return: This measures only the change in the ETF's share price. The year-to-date (YTD) price return is approximately 7.40%. Over the last year, the price return was approximately 11.35%. Looking further back, the three-year price return was approximately 53.56%.

• Total Return: This includes both the share price changes and the money paid out through distributions. The YTD total return is approximately 8.57%, and the one-year total return was approximately 12.99%. Over three years, the total return was approximately 61.12%.

To visualize the price change, an investor could look at the estimated price from roughly one year ago, which was $463.50, compared to the current price of $516.11.

Top Holdings

The fund's portfolio includes several major corporations. Because the list provided is partial, these are the top holdings:

• The Goldman Sachs Group Inc (10.27%)

• Caterpillar Inc (9.42%)

• Microsoft Corp (6.13%)

• Amgen Inc (4.78%)

• UnitedHealth Group Inc (4.35%)

• Visa Inc Class A (4.31%)

• The Travelers Companies Inc (4.17%)

• Alphabet Inc Class A (4.06%)

• Apple Inc (3.90%)

• JPMorgan Chase & Co (3.82%)

Income and distribution explanation

DIA provides regular cash payments to investors. The distribution yield is approximately 1.40%. This number describes the cash distributions relative to the ETF's price. The fund usually pays out monthly, with 12 payments recorded over the last year. Most of these payments have occurred on Fridays.

It is important to remember that a distribution yield is not the same as total return. Total return tells you the full picture of how much value was gained, including those cash payments.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" refers to a decline in the Net Asset Value (the actual value of the assets held by the fund). The supplied data is sufficient to evaluate price erosion, but it does not include enough historical NAV-per-share data to confirm or rule out NAV erosion.

However, the fund's price-based measurements look healthy. The erosion-risk score is 100, which is labeled as "No price erosion detected," and the erosion severity is rated as "good." There is no severe erosion-risk flag for this ETF.

Pros

• The fund has shown positive price and total returns over the one-year and three-year periods.

• It has a high income rating grade of "A."

Cons

• The distribution yield (1.40%) is relatively low compared to some other types of income-focused funds.

Beginner takeaway

DIA tracks a famous index of large companies. For investors looking at the numbers, the fund has seen its share price grow over the last year and three years. It also pays out regular monthly distributions, though the yield is modest. Based on the provided data, there are no signs of price erosion.