(CWS) FOCUSED EQUITY ETF
NAV as of 4/17/2023
$50.89
1 Day NAV Change as of 4/17/2023
$0.28
Overall Morningstar Ranking
Mid-Cap Growth
Based on risk-adjusted return out of 529 funds in the Mid-Cap Growth category
CWS
Overview
The AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (NYSE Arca: CWS) seeks long-term capital appreciation. CWS aims to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in a focused group of U.S. exchange-listed equity securities that the Portfolio Strategist believes have favorable fundamental attributes.
CWS’s investment strategy focuses on firms that are believed to be fundamentally sound and have shown consistent financial results and high earnings quality. The strategy may look for stocks with a strong history of sales and earnings growth, or companies that have steadily increased their earnings and dividends for several years. In addition, the Fund’s assets may be invested in lesser-known companies believed to have a unique opportunity for growth. At times, the CWS may buy certain out-of-favor stocks believed to be priced below their intrinsic value, as measured by the Advisor. Additionally, CWS’s strategy aims to keep the portfolio turnover low.
CWS’s principal investment strategy has been employed by the Portfolio Strategist, Eddy Elfenbein, since 2006 and is published annually as the Crossing Wall Street “Buy List.” The Buy List is a list of 20 stocks selected at the start of each year. The Buy List is then locked and sealed, and no changes can be made throughout the year. At the start of each year, only five stocks, just one-fourth of the Buy List, are replaced.
| Symbol | Exchange | Inception Date | CUSIP | Indicative NAV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CWS | NYSE Arca | 9/20/2016 | 00768Y560 | CWS.NV |
<strong>Why Invest in CWS?</strong>
- As a Complement to any Broad-Based Index Fund – By their nature, index funds buy everything—the good, the bad and the ugly. The strategy at CWS is to avoid fundamentally weak companies and only invest in the “first in class” companies.
- Low Turnover – The CWS strategy is focused on the long term. That’s why CWS aims to trade its positions as infrequently as possible. The fund’s goal is to hold a stock for as long as it can. CWS believes that a disciplined buy-and-hold strategy is ideal for riding out market storms.
- Innovative Fulcrum Fee Structure – In a first for the ETF industry, the Portfolio Strategist of CWS has “skin in the game.” The Strategist’s compensation is directly tied to portfolio’s performance. Stronger outperformance is rewarded with a larger management fee while weak or underperformance is penalized with a smaller management fee.
- Disciplined Stock-Picking Strategy – CWS is focused on a core group of outstanding companies, offering an attractive and simple way for investors to get instant exposure to a concentrated portfolio of companies with proven competitive advantages. As a Complement to any Broad-Based Index Fund – By their nature, index funds buy everything – the good, the bad and the ugly. The strategy at CWS is to avoid fundamentally weak companies and only invest in the “first in class” companies.
<strong>Where Can CWS Fit in a Traditional Portfolio?</strong>
As a potential source of alpha, CWS can serve as a complement or satellite equity holding alongside of broadly based domestic equity position.
<strong>Key Attributes</strong>
- Concentrated Portfolio – The Fund typically holds 25 stocks. By focusing on a small group of high-quality stocks, the Portfolio Manager feels that the portfolio can most efficiently exploit the advantages of owning top tier companies.
- Crossing Wall Street’s Buy List – CWS’s principal investment strategy is based on the Crossing Wall Street “Buy List,” an annual list of 25 stocks selected by the Portfolio Strategist that has been in place since 2006. Central to the Buy List is the concept that quality companies can outperform the broad market especially when implemented with a long term, patient focus.
- Bottom Up, Fundamental Stock Selection – CWS seeks to benefit from investing in the highest-quality companies. These are typically firms with proven managements, solid balance sheets and strong market positions. CWS stocks often have a long history of steadily rising sales, earnings and dividends.
- Disciplined and Patient Approach – The Portfolio Strategist understands that stock prices are much more volatile than their underlying fundamentals. That’s why CWS takes a long-term view. With longer holding periods, the CWS strategy seeks to benefit from the market’s well-known tendency to overact to any sign of trouble.
- Value Focus – CWS strives to buy the highest-quality stocks at the lowest possible prices. By focusing on value, the Fund aims to reduce its risk to broad-based market drops. A commitment to value also aids long-term capital appreciation.
<strong>About the Portfolio Strategist</strong>
“Eddy” Elfenbein has been a leading writer in the financial community since starting the Crossing Wall Street (CWS) website and CWS “Buy List” in 2005 and 2006, respectively. He has been widely quoted in the business and financial media, including Barron’s and the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Elfenbein often appears on CNBC and Bloomberg, where he shares his insights on the market and the economy. He also authors the weekly “CWS Market Review” and the monthly “Growth Stock Advisor” newsletters. Mr. Elfenbein earned his undergraduate degree from Washington College and an MBA in Finance and Management from the University of Connecticut.
Fund
Price History
Fund Data
4/17/2023| NAV | $50.89 |
| Change | $0.28 |
| Shares Outstanding | 1,015,000 |
| Assets Under Management | $51,654,150.6 |
Market Data
4/17/2023| Closing Price | $49.1 |
| Close Change | $0.27 |
| Volume | 14,159 |
Regulatory Data
4/17/2023| Premium Discount | $0.240 |
| 30-Day Median bid-ask Spread | 0.51 |
Shares are bought and sold at market price (closing price) not NAV and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Market price returns are based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00 pm Eastern Time (when NAV is normally determined), and do not represent the return you would receive if you traded at other times.
FUND
Performance
As of 3/31/2023
| NAV | Market Price Return | S&P 500 Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | 2.22 | 2.11 | 3.67 |
| 3 Months | 6.98 | 7.05 | 7.5 |
| YTD | 6.98 | 7.05 | 7.5 |
| 1 Year | 6.09 | 6.16 | -7.73 |
| 3 Years | 18.66 | 18.86 | 18.6 |
| 5 Years | 11.23 | 11.35 | 11.19 |
| Since Inception (9/20/2016, Annualized) | 12.15 | 12.22 | 12.55 |
As of 3/31/2023
| NAV | Market Price Return | S&P 500 Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | 2.22 | 2.11 | 3.67 |
| 3 Months | 6.98 | 7.05 | 7.5 |
| YTD | 6.98 | 7.05 | 7.5 |
| 1 Year | 6.09 | 6.16 | -7.73 |
| 3 Years | 18.66 | 18.86 | 18.6 |
| 5 Years | 11.23 | 11.35 | 11.19 |
| Since Inception (9/20/2016, Annualized) | 12.15 | 12.22 | 12.55 |
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. All Fund data and performance data quoted is believed to be accurate, and unless otherwise stated, is sourced from the Fund administrator, the Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s proprietary data, and Morningstar. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Returns less than one year are not annualized.
The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. One cannot invest directly in an index.
| Date | Account Symbol | Stock Ticker | Security ID | Security Description | Shares | Share Price | Market Value | Portfolio Weight | Asset Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/26/2024 | CWS | MLR | 600551204 | MILLER INDUSTRIES INC/TENN | 136,071 | 66.19 | 9,006,539.49 | 5.59% | S |
| FICO | 303250104 | FAIR ISAAC CORP | 4,965 | 1,605.94 | 7,973,492.10 | 4.95% | S | ||
| HEI | 422806109 | HEICO CORP | 32,395 | 234.23 | 7,587,880.85 | 4.71% | S | ||
| APH | 032095101 | AMPHENOL CORP-CL A | 116,344 | 63.86 | 7,429,727.84 | 4.61% | S | ||
| FI | 337738108 | FISERV INC | 43,780 | 159.94 | 7,002,173.20 | 4.35% | S | ||
| ICE | 45866F104 | INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE IN | 45,490 | 151.00 | 6,868,990.00 | 4.27% | S | ||
| AFL | 001055102 | AFLAC INC | 71,830 | 94.82 | 6,810,920.60 | 4.23% | S | ||
| MCO | 615369105 | MOODY'S CORP | 14,866 | 448.75 | 6,671,117.50 | 4.14% | S | ||
| TMO | 883556102 | THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC | 10,893 | 607.14 | 6,613,576.02 | 4.11% | S | ||
| COR | 03073E105 | CENCORA INC | 28,499 | 227.62 | 6,486,942.38 | 4.03% | S | ||
| AGM | 313148306 | FEDERAL AGRIC MTG CORP-CL C | 30,114 | 215.18 | 6,479,930.52 | 4.02% | S | ||
| SYK | 863667101 | STRYKER CORP | 19,367 | 331.67 | 6,423,452.89 | 3.99% | S | ||
| AWK | 030420103 | AMERICAN WATER WORKS CO INC | 44,320 | 141.71 | 6,280,587.20 | 3.90% | S | ||
| HSY | 427866108 | HERSHEY CO/THE | 31,582 | 193.53 | 6,112,064.46 | 3.80% | S | ||
| ROL | 775711104 | ROLLINS INC | 132,846 | 45.93 | 6,101,616.78 | 3.79% | S | ||
| BR | 11133T103 | BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIO | 28,588 | 212.63 | 6,078,666.44 | 3.78% | S | ||
| SLGN | 827048109 | SILGAN HOLDINGS INC | 126,599 | 47.85 | 6,057,762.15 | 3.76% | S | ||
| OTIS | 68902V107 | OTIS WORLDWIDE CORP | 64,603 | 93.48 | 6,039,088.44 | 3.75% | S | ||
| INTU | 461202103 | INTUIT INC | 9,304 | 633.36 | 5,892,781.44 | 3.66% | S | ||
| SAIC | 808625107 | SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTE | 46,315 | 122.13 | 5,656,450.95 | 3.51% | S | ||
| ABT | 002824100 | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | 53,137 | 105.24 | 5,592,137.88 | 3.47% | S | ||
| MGRC | 580589109 | MCGRATH RENTCORP | 48,392 | 111.02 | 5,372,479.84 | 3.34% | S | ||
| CE | 150870103 | CELANESE CORP | 37,331 | 139.08 | 5,191,995.48 | 3.22% | S | ||
| FDS | 303075105 | FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC | 12,318 | 415.33 | 5,116,034.94 | 3.18% | S | ||
| PII | 731068102 | POLARIS INC | 61,191 | 82.71 | 5,061,107.61 | 3.14% | S | ||
| X9USDBLYT | BLACKROCK TREASURY TRUST INSTL 62 | 1,180,140.22 | 1.00 | 1,180,140.22 | 0.73% | MM | |||
| CASH | -90,813.82 | 100.00 | -90,813.82 | -0.06% | CA |
FUND
Characteristics
As of 3/31/2023
CWS Market Cap
CWS Sector Allocation
CWS Fulcrum Fee
FUND
Documents
FUND
Fees & Expenses
| Management Fee | 0.65% |
| Other Expenses | 0.44% |
| Total Annual Operating Expenses | 1.09% |
| Fee Waver and/or Expenses Reimbursement | -0.44% |
| Total Annual Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement | 0.65%* |
*The Fund’s base management fee is 0.65% and will increase or decrease from 0.65% to 0.85% based on the trailing 12-month net returns of CWS compared to its benchmark. For more information, please read the full prospectus.
Last Ten
Fund Distributions
- Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained by visiting the Fund’s website at www.AdvisorShares.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest. Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Distributor.
- There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal amount invested. The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual issuers, industries or the stock market as a whole. Shares of the Fund may trade above or below their net asset value (“NAV”). The trading price of the Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from their NAV during periods of market volatility. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will develop or be maintained.In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. Other Fund risks include market risk, liquidity risk, large cap, mid cap, and small cap risk. Please see prospectus for details regarding risk.
- The Morningstar Rating™ for funds, or “star rating,” is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product’s monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
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- CWS received five stars for the 3-year rating among 529 funds, five stars for the 5-year rating among 498 funds and five stars for the overall rating among 529 funds in Morningstar’s Mid-Cap Growth category as of March 31, 2023.
- Definitions
- Alpha, one of the most commonly quoted indicators of investment performance, is defined as the excess return on an investment relative to the return on a benchmark index.