ETF Evaluator:
Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Equity Hedged Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF Overview
Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF (ADME) is an actively managed Nontraditional Equity Equity Hedged exchange-traded fund (ETF). APTUS ETFs launched the ETF in 2016.
The investment seeks capital appreciation with downside protection.
The fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its objective principally by investing in a portfolio of U.S.-listed equity securities, while limiting downside risk by purchasing exchange-listed put options on one or more of such equity securities or on broad-based indexes or ETFs that track the performance of the U.S. equity market. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the fund's net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in equity securities.
About Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF (ADME)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 6.92 years: John Gardner (2017), John Tyner (2020) and David Wagner (2020). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100%. Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF has 170 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 39.9% 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.
Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Nontraditional Equity ETF group. Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF has 0.3% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 99.4% There is 0.3% 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). Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $293 million in total assets, which is below the $294 million average for the Equity Hedged 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.
ADME 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 Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Equity Hedged category. Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF has an expense ratio of 0.79%, which is 3% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. 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. Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 33%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 97% for the Equity Hedged category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF returned -0.8%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Equity Hedged category had an average return of -1.4%. 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.
Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF has a trailing yield of 0.36%, which is below the 3.45% 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.
Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 7.8%, 0.7 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 13.4% over the past year (grade of C), 14.5% over the past three years (grade of B) and 6.9% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 8.5% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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ADME Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| ADME Return (NAV) | -0.8% | 2.3% | 13.4% | 14.5% | 6.9% | 8.5% |
| ADME Return (Price) | -0.9% | 2.2% | 13.3% | 14.5% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.053% | 0.052% | 0.105% | 0.023% | -0.015% | 0.014% |
| Equity Hedged Avg | -1.4% | 1.7% | 13.6% | 12.0% | 6.6% | 7.6% |
| ADME Grade (NAV) | D | C | C | B | D | B |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.6% | 0.6% | -0.1% | 2.4% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| ADME Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
ADME Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| ADME Return (NAV) | 7.8% | 10.2% | 22.1% | 15.5% | -21.7% | 20.3% | 18.2% | 9.1% | -5.9% | 17.3% | na |
| ADME Return (Price) | 7.8% | 10.3% | 22.1% | 15.4% | -21.8% | 20.2% | 18.2% | 9.3% | -6.1% | 17.6% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.001% | 0.010% | -0.001% | -0.005% | 0.003% | -0.001% | 0.001% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 1.8% | na |
| Equity Hedged Avg | 7.1% | 12.6% | 14.6% | 14.8% | -12.9% | 15.6% | 10.2% | 9.9% | -6.3% | 12.2% | 3.0% |
| ADME Grade (NAV) | B | D | A | C | F | B | B | C | B | A | na |
| +/- Category | 0.7% | -2.4% | 7.5% | 0.7% | -8.9% | 4.7% | 8.0% | -0.7% | 0.4% | 5.1% | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.91 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Standard Deviation: | 12.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.13 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.98 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.4% |
| Total Assets: | $ 293 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 293 Mil |
| Turnover: | 33.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.79% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 8.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 6.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Gardner John (2017), Tyner John (2020), Wagner David (2020) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 170 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 39.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.3% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 99.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.3% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.1% |
| Cash: | 0.2% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | APTUS ETFs |
| Phone Number: | 800-617-0004 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | June 8, 2016 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.79% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.76% |
