NSPI Offers Risk-Managed Exposure to S&P 500® Index's Dividend ...

Despite the economic uncertainty and market volatility of much of 2022, dividend-paying companies continued to deliver last year. Dividend-paying companies remain a popular choice for advisors and investors, and with economic uncertainty likely to continue to linger in the first half of 2023, finding the right strategy to capture dividends while also providing monthly income opportunities is crucial for retirement portfolios.

The S&P 500® Index remains one of the most reliable sources for dividend payouts across equity indexes, having grown dividend payments for 13 consecutive years, with 11 of those record-setting years for payments, according to S&P Global. The major equity index also logged record-setting cash dividend payouts in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to S&P Global, up 10.2% over the same period in 2021.

Overall, dividends had a record-setting year in 2022, increasing 10.8% in actual cash payment with an aggregate payment of $564.6 billion to shareholders over the entirety of the year compared to $511.2 billion in dividends in dividends in 2021.

“2023 appears set for another record payment, with the key question being by how much as the answer may depend on the state of the economy and corporate profits. The uncertain forecast for 2023 dividend payments is also driven by several factors, including changes in inflation, interest rates, and consumer spending,” said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, in the press release. “Overall, it is clear that companies are currently protecting their dividends, even if it means reducing buybacks.”

The Nationwide S&P 500® Risk-Managed Income ETF (NSPI) is an actively managed fund that follows a rules-based options trading strategy that seeks to generate high current income every month and invests in stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. The S&P 500® is weighted by market capitalization and comprises approximately 500 of the top U.S.-listed companies that make up most of the U.S. equity market cap (80%).

NSPI utilizes a collar strategy to seek to provide monthly income while reducing volatility and offering downside protection. A collar strategy entails holding shares of underlying security while simultaneously buying protective put options and writing calls for the same security. A put option gives its owner the right but not the obligation to sell the underlying asset at a specific price on a particular day. In contrast, a call option gives its owner the right but not the obligation to buy the asset instead.

The options collar is intended to reduce the fund’s volatility and provide a measure of downside protection while seeking to generate high monthly income through the written calls and dividend payouts from the underlying assets.

As market volatility is anticipated to continue into 2023 and economic uncertainty is likely to extend through the first half of the year, NSPI is a fund to consider that offers exposure to companies that are committed to dividend payouts while also seeking to reduce volatility with a measure of downside protection.

For more news, information, and analysis, visit our Retirement Income Channel.

This article was prepared as part of Nationwide’s paid sponsorship of ETF Trends.

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The NSPI Prospectus may be accessed at: https://nationwidefunds.onlineprospectus.net/nationwidefunds/NSPI/index.html

Call 1-800-617-0004 to request a summary prospectus and/or a prospectus, or download prospectuses at etf.nationwidefinancial.com. These prospectuses outline investment objectives, risks, fees, charges and expenses, and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing.

The results shown represent past performance; past performance does not guarantee future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the past performance shown, which does not guarantee future results. Share price, principal value and return will vary, and you may have a gain or a loss when you sell your shares. Returns for periods less than one year are not annualized. Short-term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the fund’s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns. To obtain the most recent month-end performance, go to etf.nationwidefinancial.com or call 1-877-893-1830.

Click this link for the funds’ Standardized performance and 30-day SEC yield.

KEY RISKS: The Nationwide Nasdaq-100® Risk-Managed Income ETF, Nationwide S&P 500® Risk-Managed Income ETF, Nationwide Dow Jones® Risk-Managed Income ETF, and Nationwide Russell 2000® Risk-Managed Income ETF (collectively, the “Risk-Managed Income ETFs”) are subject to the risks of investing in equity securities, including tracking stock (a class of common stock that “tracks” the performance of a unit or division within a larger company). A tracking stock’s value may decline even if the larger company’s stock increases in value. The Risk-Managed Income ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in foreign securities (currency fluctuations, political risks, differences in accounting and limited availability of information, all of which are magnified in emerging markets).

The Risk-Managed Income ETFs may invest in more-aggressive investments such as derivatives (which create investment leverage and illiquidity and are highly volatile). The Risk-Managed Income ETFs employ a collared options strategy (using call and put options is speculative and can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the reference asset). The success of the Risk-Managed Income ETFs’ investment strategy may depend on the effectiveness of the subadviser’s quantitative tools for screening securities and on data provided by third parties. The Risk-Managed Income ETFs expect to invest a portion of their assets to replicate the holdings of an index. Correlation between Fund performance and index performance may be affected by Fund expenses and because the Fund may not be invested fully in the securities of the index or may hold securities not included in the index.

The Risk-Managed Income ETFs frequently may buy and sell portfolio securities and other assets to rebalance its exposure to various market sectors. Higher portfolio turnover may result in higher levels of transaction costs paid by the Risk-Managed Income ETFs and greater tax liabilities for shareholders. The Risk-Managed Income ETFs may concentrate on specific sectors or industries, subjecting them to greater volatility than that of other ETFs. The Risk-Managed Income ETFs may hold large positions in a small number of securities, and an increase or decrease in the value of such securities may have a disproportionate impact on the Funds’ value and total return. Although the Risk-Managed Income ETFs intend to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Risk-Managed Income ETFs will be considered non-diversified.

Additional risks include: Collared options strategy risk, correlation risk, derivatives risk, foreign investment risk, and industry concentration risk.

The Fund expects to invest a portion of its assets to replicate the holdings of an index. Correlation between Fund performance and index performance may be affected by Fund expenses and because the Fund may not be invested fully in the securities of the index or may hold securities not included in the index. The Fund frequently may buy and sell portfolio securities and other assets to rebalance its exposure to various market sectors. Higher portfolio turnover may result in higher levels of transaction costs paid by the Fund and greater tax liabilities for shareholders. The Fund may concentrate on specific sectors or industries, subjecting it to greater volatility than that of other ETFs. The Fund may hold large positions in a small number of securities, and an increase or decrease in the value of such securities may have a disproportionate impact on the Fund’s value and total return. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund will be considered nondiversified. Additional Fund risk includes: Collared options strategy risk, correlation risk, derivatives risk, foreign investment risk, and industry concentration risk.

S&P 500® Index: An unmanaged, market capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks of leading large-cap U.S. companies in leading industries; gives a broad look at the U.S. equities market and those companies’ stock price performance.

The S&P 500® index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”), and has been licensed for use by Nationwide Fund Advisors. Standard & Poor’s®, S&P®, and S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by Nationwide Fund Advisors. The Nationwide S&P 500® Risk-Managed Income ETF (“NSPI”) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or their respective affiliates, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P 500® Index.

Market index performance is provided by a third-party source Nationwide Funds Group deems to be reliable (Morningstar and U.S. Bank). Indexes are unmanaged and have been provided for comparison purposes only. No fees or expenses have been reflected. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index.

Nationwide Fund Advisors (NFA) is the registered investment advisor to Nationwide ETFs, which are distributed by Quasar Distributors LLC. NFA is not affiliated with any distributor, subadviser, or index provider contracted by NFA for the Nationwide ETFs.

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