Category Archives: Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Fidelity Investments is planning to charge a $100 servicing fee when placing buy orders on exchange-traded funds issued by nine firms. The new servicing charge, which may be imposed on ETFs issued by Simplify Asset Management, AXS Investments, Day Hagan, Sterling Capital, Cambiar, Regents Park, Rayliant, Adaptive, and Running Oak, is set to take effect on June 3. The new fee will apply to ETFs that do not participate in a maintenance arrangement with Fidelity.  Fidelity may update its “Surcharge-Eligible ETF” list again.    

Poster Rforno noted that Calamos Investments LLC announced the launch of 12 structured protection exchange-traded funds which seek to provide 100% protection and equity upside to a predetermined cap over one-year outcome periods (before fees and expenses). The ETFs are Continue reading →

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Updates

Beware of big promises! Several articles have been written recently about BOXX ETF. Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF which tries to outperform an ultra-cheap vanilla ETF by using an option swap strategy. In theory, the game will allow investors to pay the long-term capital gain rate on their games rather than the ordinary income rate.

Here’s the advisor’s description of their Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Updates

Vanguard is introducing new and enhanced intergenerational wealth and legacy planning capabilities through a partnership with Vanilla, an innovative provider of digital estate planning tools and solutions. The offer was successfully piloted to a small group of eligible advised clients in Vanguard Personal Advisor Wealth Management over the past year and will Continue reading →

Briefly Noted…

By TheShadow

Updates

The merger of the BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund into the BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth Fund, originally scheduled to occur by the end of 2023, has been delayed.

Several iShare ETFs, iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF, iShares Expanded Tech- Software Sector ETF, iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF, iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF, iShares U.S. Financial Services ETF, iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF, iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF, iShares U.S. Transportation ETF. and iShares Semiconductor ETF will undergo a stock split. Shares of Continue reading →

Briefly Noted…

By TheShadow

Updates

BenWP, a member of MFO’s discussion community, contributed that the Capital Group has several new equity and fixed-income ETFs.  One of the newest ETFs is the Capital Group Core Balanced ETF, an active multi-asset ETF. Some of the other active equity ETFs are the Capital Group International Equity ETF, Capital Group International Focus Equity ETF, Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF, Capital Group Dividend Value ETF, Capital Group Global Growth Equity ETF, Capital Group Core Equity ETF, and Capital Group Growth ETF. The Capital Group has several new fixed-income ETFs: Capital Group Core Bond ETF, Capital Group Core Plus Income ETF, Capital Group Short Duration Income ETF, and Capital Group U.S. Multi-Sector Income ETF. There are two municipal ETFs: Capital Group Municipal Income ETF and Continue reading →

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Updates

Matthews Asia has named Sean Taylor as its incoming chief investment officer, taking over from Robert Horrocks at the start of next year. Taylor was CIO for Asia Pacific and head of emerging markets at DWS and will assume his new role at Matthews on January 1, 2024. Mr. Horrocks, who has been with Matthews Asia since 2008, will retain his portfolio management responsibilities, which include Matthews Asia Dividend and Matthews Asian Growth & Income.

Matthews hired a new CIO, Cooper Abbott, in the summer of 2022. Since then, the firm has undergone Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

The AXS 1.25X NVDA Bear Daily ETF underwent a 1-5 reverse stock split on or about August 14.

The Champlain Strategic Focus Fund is in registration. The fund invests primarily in securities of mid- to large-capitalization companies. Annual fund expenses will be 1.10% for the advisor share class and 0.85% for the institutional share class. The fund will utilize several portfolio managers with Champlain Investment Partners, LLC.

The GMO U.S. Quality ETF is in registration.  Expenses have not Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Updates

Our condolences to the family and friends of Robert B Bruce, co-portfolio manager of the Bruce Fund, who passed away on June 23. The Bruce Fund will continue to be managed by his son, R. Jeffrey Bruce. Morningstar rates the Bruce Fund four stars.

Stuart Rigby, one of the portfolio managers of the Grandeur Peak Emerging Markets Opportunities, Global Reach, and US Stalwarts Funds, has decided to Continue reading →

Briefly Noted…

By TheShadow

Updates

Fido’s conversion

Fidelity converted its “disruptive” funds to ETFs. They are Fidelity Disruptive Automation (FBOT), Fidelity Disruptive Communications (FDCF), Fidelity Disruptive Finance (FDFF), Fidelity Disruptive Medicine (FMED), and Fidelity Disruptive Technology (FDTX). As a group, they are not terribly compelling. They began trading this week. 

Next up: the Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Jamie Cuellar, CFA, passed away unexpectedly and tragically on May 8. He was the co-portfolio manager of the Buffalo Small Cap Fund from 2015 and of the Buffalo Discovery Fund from April 2020. Our condolences to his family, friends, and co-workers.

Capital Group, parent of the American Funds and, with $2.6 trillion AUM, one of the world’s largest investment managers, has registered two exchange-traded funds, Capital Group Core Bond ETF and Capital Group Short Duration Municipal Income ETF. Management and operating expenses have not Continue reading →

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Updates

In a “less than meets the eye” kind of way, the headline is “ESG funds lose $5.2 billion in assets in 2023.” The story behind the story: the Republican temper tantrum had led to outflows from BlackRock, whose ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF alone dropped $6.4 billion. In a defensive reaction, BlackRock reduced the ESG allocation in its model portfolios, which Continue reading →

Briefly Noted…

By TheShadow

Updates

Vanguard launched its Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF on March 9th. The ETF will optimize tax efficiency for investors seeking to allocate to the shorter end of the municipal bond market. It predominantly invests in short-term investment grade municipal bonds and will track the S&P 0-7 Year National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index. It has an expense ratio of Continue reading →

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Updates

Ariel Funds picks up a new team and two new strategies. Henry Mallari-D’Auria, previously the CIO of emerging markets value at AllianceBernstein, will join the firm in April. Four of his colleagues have moved with him, and they have plans to build the team out more. Ariel’s co-CEOs note that “a dedicated EM strategy became our next natural product extension.”

In addition, Ariel intends a most un-Ariel move in launching a global long/short strategy led by Micky Jagirdar, who is already the firm’s head of global equities.

Driehaus Funds has filed an SEC registration filing for Continue reading →

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Updates

The sad saga of Phaeacian Global Value and Phaeacian Accent International Value funds rolls on long after the funds’ liquidation. As MFO readers know, both started life as (entirely excellent) FPA funds. FPA and the managers negotiated a deal with London-based Polar Capital for the funds and their teams to be adopted by Polar under the Phaeacian brand. In principle, the deal made sense for both parties, with the funds receiving broader distribution and FPA receiving a revenue-sharing agreement and a chance to refocus on their core products.

In reality, the partnership Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Disruptors disrupted: the suite of Fidelity Disruptive funds is being converted to ETFs in June 2023. 

The funds are approaching their three-year anniversary, but only one has reached to $100 million AUM threshold. Fidelity offers that the conversion might provide “lower net expenses, additional trading flexibility, increased portfolio holdings transparency, and the potential for enhanced tax Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Bridgeway’s Omni Tax-Managed Small-Cap Value Fund will be converted into the Omni Small-Cap Value ETF. The conversion will require the approval of existing shareholders. If the conversion is approved, it is expected to take effect on or about during the first quarter of 2023.

Fidelity, likewise, is moving more funds into an ETF wrapper. Two and a half years ago, Fido launched a series of trendy funds which promises to find the disruptors, not just the innovators, and profit from them.

To date, the funds have gathered Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Aristotle Capital Management is to buy Pacific Asset Management, the specialist credit manager with about $20 billion AUM from Pacific Life. Afterward completion, Aristotle will be renamed Aristotle Pacific Capital.

Lazard US Convertibles Portfolio is in registration. The principal investment strategy is to invest in convertible securities economically tied to the United States. The portfolio managers/analysts will be Arnaud Brillois, Andrew Raab, Emmanuel Naar, and Zoe Chen. Open share total annual portfolio operating Continue reading →

Briefly Noted

By TheShadow

Not a major surprise, but there are a load of active ETFs in the pipeline.  Fidelity has launched Fidelity Tactical Bond ETF. John Hancock will have John Hancock International High Dividend, and Hartford is launched Hartford Sustainable Income, managed by a team from Wellington. iShares is launched an active U.S. Consumer Focused ETF, but such funds have always felt a bit gimmicky to us. Finally, Neuberger Berman Commodity Strategy Fund is becoming an ETF on or about October 21, 2022.

Akre ups international flexibility. Effective November 28, 2022, Continue reading →

Briefly Noted . . .

By TheShadow

Fallen angels: “The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Atlanta-based Angel Oak Capital Advisors, LLC and its portfolio manager Ashish Negandhi for misleading investors about the firm’s fix-and-flip loan securitization’s delinquency rates. Angel Oak and Negandhi have agreed to settle charges and pay a penalty of $1.75 million and $75,000, respectively” (sec.gov, 8/10/22). Angel Oak advises a series of mutual funds whose activities, so far as we can tell, are completely unaffected by the SEC action. That said, Continue reading →