ETF Evaluator: ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) Follow This ETF

ALPS Clean Energy ETF Overview

ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) is a passively managed Sector Equity Miscellaneous Sector exchange-traded fund (ETF). ALPS launched the ETF in 2018.

The investment seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the performance of its underlying index, the CIBC Atlas Clean Energy Index (ticker symbol NACEX) (the "underlying index"). The fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in securities that comprise the underlying index. The underlying index utilizes a rules-based methodology developed by CIBC National Trust Company (the "index provider"), which is designed to provide exposure to a diverse set of U.S. and Canadian companies involved in the clean energy sector including renewables and clean technology. The fund is non-diversified.

About ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES)

There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.13 years: Ryan Mischker (2018) and Charles Perkins (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.

The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: Bloomberg US 1000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and S&P 1000 TR index with a weighting of 100%. ALPS Clean Energy ETF has 39 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 50.2% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.

ALPS Clean Energy ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. ALPS Clean Energy ETF has 14.7% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 85.2% There is 14.7% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). ALPS Clean Energy ETF has 0.1% of the portfolio in cash.

Assets Under Management

The fund has $129 million in total assets, which is below the $351 million average for the Miscellaneous Sector category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.

ACES Performance and Fees

The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The ALPS Clean Energy ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Miscellaneous Sector category. ALPS Clean Energy ETF has an expense ratio of 0.55%, which is 24% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.

High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. ALPS Clean Energy ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 39%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 45% for the Miscellaneous Sector category.

Recently, in the month of June 2026, ALPS Clean Energy ETF returned -15.2%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Miscellaneous Sector category had an average return of -6.8%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.

ALPS Clean Energy ETF has a trailing yield of 0.63%, which is below the 1.02% category average. The fund normally distributes its income quarterly.

It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.

ALPS Clean Energy ETF Grades

Year to date, the ETF has returned 9.3%, 4.5 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 38.2% over the past year (grade of D), -6.9% over the past three years (grade of F) and -13.3% per year over the past five years (grade of D).

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