ETF Evaluator:
ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF (RFCI)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Corporate Bond Over the Last Year
| 6.7% | Pacer US Cash Cows Bond ETF (MILK) |
| 6.2% | iShares Invm Grd Crp Bd Buywrt Stgy ETF (LQDW) |
| 4.7% | American Century Dvrs Corp Bd ETF (KORP) |
| 4.7% | BondBloxx BBB Rated 5-10 Yr Corp Bd ETF (BBBI) |
| 4.7% | iShares 5-10 Year invmt Grd Corp Bd ETF (IGIB) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF Overview
ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF (RFCI) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Corporate Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). ALPS launched the ETF in 2016.
The investment seeks total return, with an emphasis on income as the source of that total return.
The fund invests in a global portfolio of fixed income securities of various maturities, ratings and currency denominations. It may purchase fixed income securities issued by U.S. or foreign corporations or financial institutions, including debt securities of all types and maturities, convertible securities and preferred stocks.
About ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF (RFCI)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.25 years: Chris Proctor (2026), Laton Spahr (2026) and Eric Hewitt (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF has 47 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 44.8% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF has 4.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 4.8% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 95.0% (90.7% domestic bond, 4.4% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $15 million in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Corporate Bond 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.
RFCI 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 Dynamic Core Income ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Corporate Bond category. ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF has an expense ratio of 0.51%, which is 115% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a F. 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 Dynamic Core Income ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 28%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 55% for the Corporate Bond category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF returned 0.1%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Corporate Bond category had an average return of 0.2%. 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 Dynamic Core Income ETF has a trailing yield of 4.54%, which is below the 4.92% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly.
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 Dynamic Core Income ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 0.5%, 0.5 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 3.3% over the past year (grade of F), 4.7% over the past three years (grade of F) and 1.2% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 1.9% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about ALPS Dynamic Core Income ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
RFCI Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| RFCI Return (NAV) | 0.1% | 0.8% | 3.3% | 4.7% | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| RFCI Return (Price) | 0.2% | 1.0% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.134% | -0.204% | 0.084% | 0.083% | 0.009% | 0.007% |
| Corporate Bond Avg | 0.2% | 1.5% | 4.3% | 5.4% | 0.6% | 2.6% |
| RFCI Grade (NAV) | F | F | F | F | B | F |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.1% | -0.7% | -1.0% | -0.8% | 0.5% | -0.7% |
| RFCI Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
RFCI Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| RFCI Return (NAV) | 0.5% | 6.7% | 2.7% | 5.9% | -9.3% | -1.5% | 6.3% | 8.6% | -0.8% | 3.3% | na |
| RFCI Return (Price) | 0.4% | 6.8% | 2.7% | 6.0% | -9.3% | -1.5% | 6.3% | 8.7% | -1.3% | 3.1% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.141% | 0.007% | -0.003% | 0.010% | -0.001% | 0.003% | 0.009% | 1.5% | 70.5% | -4.1% | na |
| Corporate Bond Avg | 0.9% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 8.3% | -14.8% | -0.9% | 9.6% | 13.5% | -2.0% | 5.2% | 5.0% |
| RFCI Grade (NAV) | F | F | C | F | A | D | F | F | B | F | na |
| +/- Category | -0.5% | -1.1% | -0.1% | -2.4% | 5.5% | -0.6% | -3.3% | -5.0% | 1.3% | -1.9% | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.83 |
| R-Squared: | 97% |
| Standard Deviation: | 4.7% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.81 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.38 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Low |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 4.5% |
| Total Assets: | $ 16 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 16 Mil |
| Turnover: | 28.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.51% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Proctor Chris (2026), Spahr Laton (2026), Hewitt Eric (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 47 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 44.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 4.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 4.8% |
| Domestic Bond: | 90.7% |
| Foreign Bond: | 4.4% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.2% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | ALPS |
| Phone Number: | 866-759-5679 |
| Website: | www.alpsfunds.com |
| Inception Date: | June 10, 2016 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.51% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.24% |
