ETF Evaluator:
Barron's 400 ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Mid-Cap Blend Over the Last Year
| 58.8% | Castellan Targeted Equity ETF (CTEF) |
| 53.8% | Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF (CSD) |
| 43.0% | Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF (CPAI) |
| 40.8% | Optimize Strategy Index ETF (OPTZ) |
| 37.3% | Tema U.S. Manufacturing & Reshoring ETF (WELD) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
Barron's 400 ETF Overview
Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Mid-Cap Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). ALPS launched the ETF in 2013.
The investment seeks investment results that correspond generally, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the Barron's 400SM Index (the "underlying index").
The underlying index is a rules-based index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of high performing equity securities of U.S. companies. The fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the equity securities which comprise the underlying index.
About Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 6.84 years: Ryan Mischker (2015) 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 Val TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Barrons 400 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Barron's 400 ETF has 397 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 4.8% 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.
Barron's 400 ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Barron's 400 ETF has 1.5% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 98.2% There is 1.5% 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). Barron's 400 ETF has 0.3% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $230 million in total assets, which is below the $4 billion average for the Mid-Cap 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.
BFOR 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 Barron's 400 ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Mid-Cap Blend category. Barron's 400 ETF has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which is 44% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. 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. Barron's 400 ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 93%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 84% for the Mid-Cap Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Barron's 400 ETF returned -1.0%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Mid-Cap Blend category had an average return of -1.6%. 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.
Barron's 400 ETF has a trailing yield of 0.52%, which is below the 0.85% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income 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.
Barron's 400 ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 15.0%, 1.0 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 21.8% over the past year (grade of B), 17.0% over the past three years (grade of B) and 10.7% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 12.5% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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 Barron's 400 ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
BFOR 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 |
|
| BFOR Return (NAV) | -1.0% | 6.4% | 21.8% | 17.0% | 10.7% | 12.5% |
| BFOR Return (Price) | -0.9% | 6.5% | 22.1% | 17.1% | 10.7% | 12.5% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.075% | -0.115% | -0.308% | -0.076% | -0.032% | -0.011% |
| Mid-Cap Blend Avg | -1.6% | 4.4% | 20.8% | 14.8% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| BFOR Grade (NAV) | C | B | B | B | A | B |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.6% | 2.0% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 0.8% |
| BFOR Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
BFOR Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| BFOR Return (NAV) | 15.0% | 13.8% | 17.8% | 18.2% | -15.8% | 30.6% | 17.5% | 21.3% | -13.4% | 18.9% | 17.4% |
| BFOR Return (Price) | 15.0% | 13.8% | 17.8% | 18.2% | -15.9% | 30.7% | 17.6% | 21.3% | -13.8% | 19.4% | 16.8% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.005% | 0.007% | 0.001% | -0.002% | 0.004% | 0.003% | 0.008% | 0.0% | 3.1% | 2.3% | -3.3% |
| Mid-Cap Blend Avg | 14.0% | 10.6% | 16.1% | 16.9% | -14.4% | 23.3% | 15.6% | 27.4% | -9.1% | 19.1% | 14.8% |
| BFOR Grade (NAV) | B | B | A | B | D | A | B | F | F | C | B |
| +/- Category | 1.0% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.3% | -1.4% | 7.3% | 1.9% | -6.1% | -4.3% | -0.1% | 2.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.93 |
| R-Squared: | 62% |
| Standard Deviation: | 15.4% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.98 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.26 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.5% |
| Total Assets: | $ 230 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 230 Mil |
| Turnover: | 93.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.65% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | Bloomberg US 1000 Val TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 11.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 6.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Mischker Ryan (2015), Perkins Charles (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 397 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 4.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.5% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 98.2% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.5% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.3% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | ALPS |
| Phone Number: | 866-759-5679 |
| Website: | www.alpsfunds.com |
| Inception Date: | June 3, 2013 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.65% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.45% |
