ETF Evaluator:
Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Mid-Cap Value Over the Last Year
| 45.0% | VictoryShares Free Cash Flow ETF (VFLO) |
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| 37.8% | ProShares Equities for Rising Rates ETF (EQRR) |
| 37.4% | Vanguard US Multifactor ETF (VFMF) |
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ETF Details
Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF Overview
Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF (DIVY) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Mid-Cap Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). Sound ETF launched the ETF in 2020.
The investment seeks to generate current income via a dividend yield that is at least two times that of the S&P 500 Index; long-term capital appreciation is the secondary objective.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowing) in dividend-paying equity securities. It may invest in ETFs that principally invest in equity securities. The fund will typically hold securities of approximately 30 companies in its portfolio. It is non-diversified.
About Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF (DIVY)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 2.09 years: Andrew Hicks (2026), Qiao Duan (2026) and Eric Beyrich (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%. Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF has 37 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 36.4% 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.
Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF has 12.1% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 87.4% There is 12.1% 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). Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF has 0.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $28 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Mid-Cap Value 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.
DIVY 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 Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Mid-Cap Value category. Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF has an expense ratio of 0.45%, which is 4% lower 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. Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 26%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 72% for the Mid-Cap Value category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF returned 4.2%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Mid-Cap Value category had an average return of 3.5%. 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.
Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF has a trailing yield of 2.93%, which is above the 2.05% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income semi-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.
Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 16.3%, 0.9 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 23.0% over the past year (grade of C), 8.8% over the past three years (grade of F) and 8.5% per year over the past five years (grade of D).
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DIVY 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 |
|
| DIVY Return (NAV) | 4.2% | 7.1% | 23.0% | 8.8% | 8.5% | na |
| DIVY Return (Price) | 4.4% | 7.5% | 23.5% | 8.8% | 8.5% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.198% | -0.400% | -0.511% | -0.046% | 0.014% | na |
| Mid-Cap Value Avg | 3.5% | 6.1% | 23.5% | 13.9% | 10.2% | 10.8% |
| DIVY Grade (NAV) | B | B | C | F | D | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.7% | 1.0% | -0.5% | -5.1% | -1.7% | na |
| DIVY Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.5% | na |
DIVY Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DIVY Return (NAV) | 16.3% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 5.1% | 3.8% | 33.5% | na | na | na | na | na |
| DIVY Return (Price) | 16.4% | 7.4% | 2.6% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 33.7% | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.005% | 0.023% | 0.001% | 0.010% | -0.102% | 0.007% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Mid-Cap Value Avg | 15.4% | 10.4% | 12.2% | 12.9% | -5.7% | 31.6% | 0.6% | 25.6% | -10.0% | 15.5% | 20.3% |
| DIVY Grade (NAV) | C | F | F | F | A | B | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 0.9% | -3.2% | -9.6% | -7.8% | 9.5% | 1.9% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.56 |
| R-Squared: | 35% |
| Standard Deviation: | 12.4% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.87 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.01 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 2.9% |
| Total Assets: | $ 29 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 29 Mil |
| Turnover: | 26.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.45% |
| 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: | Semi-Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 5.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 2.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Beyrich Eric (2020), Hicks Andrew (2026), Duan Qiao (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 37 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 36.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 12.1% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 87.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 12.1% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.1% |
| Cash: | 0.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Sound ETF |
| Phone Number: | 833-916-9056 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | December 30, 2020 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.45% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.47% |