Is Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF (RODM) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF (RODM) was launched on 02/25/2015, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Foreign Large Value ETF category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Hartfordfunds. It has amassed assets over $1.44 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Foreign Large Value ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Hartford Risk-Optimized Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) Index before fees and expenses.

The Hartford Risk-Optimized Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) Index seeks to de-concentrate country, currency, and individual company risks in developed market economies (ex US).

Cost & Other Expenses

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.29% for this ETF, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.86%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Taking into account individual holdings, Nokia Corp Spon Adr Adr (NOK) accounts for about 1.37% of the fund's total assets, followed by Engie Common Stock Eur1.0 (ENGI) and Gsk Plc Spon Adr Adr (GSK).

RODM's top 10 holdings account for about 11.33% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF has added about 8.75% so far, and is up roughly 34.92% over the last 12 months (as of 03/05/2026). RODM has traded between $28.23 $41.11 in this past 52-week period.

RODM has a beta of 0.67 and standard deviation of 11.65% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 340 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Value ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (VYMI) tracks FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index and the Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF (FNDF) tracks Russell RAFI Developed ex US Large Co. Index (Net). Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares has $17.36 billion in assets, Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF has $22.26 billion. VYMI has an expense ratio of 0.07% and FNDF changes 0.25%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Value ETF

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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Hartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF (RODM): ETF Research Reports

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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