Qualities to Look for in Your High-Yield ETFs

When considering a high-yield exchange traded fund (ETF), what are the most important characteristics to keep in mind?

Phillip Yockey, President of Tactival Analytics, says "quality, yield and safety" should be the biggest considerations. Michael Krause of AltaVista Research agrees but adds that it’s also important to analyze the underlying composition of these ETFs.

Billy Fisher for The Street says that while there are a high number of high-yield ETFs to choose from, some due diligence should be done in looking at the alternatives. Remember that the expense ratios are important because they take away from dividend payments.

Among the number of high-yield ETFs available are:

• Claymore/Zacks Yield Hog (CVY), up 0.14% year-to-date; 6.3% yield
• SPDR S&P Dividend (SDY), down 2.9% year-to-date; 3.9% yield
• iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund (DVY), down 6.8% year-to-date; 4.2% yield
• WisdomTree High-Yielding Equity Fund (DHS), down 5.4% year-to-date; 4.6% yield