ETF Evaluator: Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF () Follow This ETF

Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF Overview

Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF (AIMS) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). Acuitas Investments launched the ETF in 2026.

The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in small-capitalization companies. The management defines small-capitalization (“small cap”) companies as those companies with a market capitalization, at the time of initial investment, that is equal to or smaller than the largest company in the Russell 2000® Index. The fund is non-diversified.

About Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF (AIMS)

There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.47 years: Christopher Tessin (2026) and Matt Nieman (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.

Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF has 279 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 13.6% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.

Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF has 3.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 93.8% There is 3.4% 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). Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF has 2.9% of the portfolio in cash.

Assets Under Management

The fund has $86 million in total assets, which is below the $4 billion average for the Small Blend 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.

AIMS 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 Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Small Blend category. Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF has an expense ratio of 0.75%, which is 77% 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. Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 50% for the Small Blend category.

Recently, in the month of July 2026, Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF returned -5.4%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Small Blend category had an average return of -2.1%. 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.

Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 1.17% category average. The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.

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.

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