WisdomTree, an exchange-traded fund sponsor and asset manager, has announced the WisdomTree Europe SmallCap Dividend Fund (DFE) recently surpassed $1 billion in assets.

Luciano Siracusano, Chief Investment Strategist, WisdomTree.

The NYSE Arca-listed ETF, which made its debut in June 2006, is designed to provide exposure to the small-capitalization segment of the European dividend-paying market.

The fund is linked to the WisdomTree Europe SmallCap Dividend Index, a cash dividend-weighted index comprised of small-cap European companies.

Assets under management in the fund have benefited from positive flows as investor confidence towards Europe improved following the region’s steady return to growth in the second half of 2013 and into early 2014. Assets have also been boosted by positive market performance. Indeed, according to data provider Morningstar, the fund was ranked the number one on a total return basis out of 113 open-ended mutual funds and ETFs in the Europe Stock peer group during the 2013 year.

Luciano Siracusano, WisdomTree Chief Investment Strategist, commented: “This stabilization of the European economy is encouraging and a step toward alleviating a major concern for the global economy. We believe the best way to participate in the European recovery is through the small-capitalization segment of the equity market, as smaller companies are typically more sensitive to the local economy and cyclical sectors of Europe.”

Jeremy Schwartz, WisdomTree Director of Research, added: “While we recognize that past performance is no indicator of future results, we believe that when a fund ranks number one in a particular investment category on a total return basis over the past one year period, it deserves special recognition. This is particularly true when the fund category is becoming a prime focus for asset flows and investors are re-assessing the role that such a significant investment theme should play in their portfolios.”

The fund has an expense ratio of 0.58%.