ETF Evaluator:
ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Large Value Over the Last Year
| 72.4% | iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) |
| 39.0% | SEI QiM U.S. Lrg Cap Value Actv ETF (SEIV) |
| 34.8% | LSV Disciplined Value ETF (LSVD) |
| 34.7% | iShares Core Dividend ETF (DIVB) |
| 34.4% | Avantis US Large Cap Value ETF (AVLV) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF Overview
ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF (EQL) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Large Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). ALPS launched the ETF in 2009.
The investment seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the performance of the Modelist/VettaFi Equal Weight Sector 500 Index (the “underlying index”).
The underlying index is designed to track the performance of U.S. large-capitalization equities by allocating equal weight across economic sectors, while maintaining float-adjusted market capitalization weighting within each sector. It will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets in securities that comprise the underlying index. It is non-diversified.
About ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF (EQL)
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: S&P 500 (TR) index with a weighting of 100% and VettaFi Modelist Eq Wt Sector 500 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF has 502 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 23.3% 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.
ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF has 0.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 99.0% There is 0.6% 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). ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF has 0.3% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $744 million in total assets, which is below the $5 billion average for the Large 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.
EQL 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 Equal Sector Weight ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Large Value category. ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF has an expense ratio of 0.19%, which is 49% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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 Equal Sector Weight ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 10%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 40% for the Large Value category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF returned 1.2%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Large Value category had an average return of 2.4%. 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.
ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF has a trailing yield of 1.36%, which is below the 1.70% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly 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.
ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 10.6%, 3.8 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 17.1% over the past year (grade of F), 14.4% over the past three years (grade of D) and 10.6% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 12.3% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
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 Equal Sector Weight ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
EQL 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 |
|
| EQL Return (NAV) | 1.2% | 1.9% | 17.1% | 14.4% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| EQL Return (Price) | 1.2% | 2.0% | 17.2% | 14.5% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.082% | -0.073% | -0.098% | -0.088% | -0.034% | -0.014% |
| Large Value Avg | 2.4% | 5.9% | 24.1% | 16.3% | 11.3% | 12.1% |
| EQL Grade (NAV) | D | F | F | D | D | C |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -1.2% | -4.0% | -7.0% | -1.9% | -0.7% | 0.2% |
| EQL Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
EQL Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EQL Return (NAV) | 10.6% | 13.1% | 16.3% | 16.9% | -10.6% | 29.3% | 10.7% | 27.8% | -6.0% | 18.1% | 13.2% |
| EQL Return (Price) | 10.7% | 13.1% | 16.4% | 16.9% | -10.7% | 29.3% | 10.9% | 27.9% | -6.1% | 18.4% | 12.8% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.008% | -0.003% | 0.007% | 0.000% | 0.012% | 0.001% | 0.015% | 0.0% | 1.6% | 1.3% | -3.2% |
| Large Value Avg | 14.4% | 14.8% | 15.5% | 13.1% | -6.5% | 26.7% | 5.4% | 27.4% | -6.6% | 17.7% | 15.7% |
| EQL Grade (NAV) | D | D | C | B | F | B | A | C | B | B | F |
| +/- Category | -3.8% | -1.7% | 0.8% | 3.8% | -4.1% | 2.6% | 5.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.5% | -2.5% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.72 |
| R-Squared: | 72% |
| Standard Deviation: | 11.1% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.91 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.91 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.4% |
| Total Assets: | $ 745 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 745 Mil |
| Turnover: | 10.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.19% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
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: | 502 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 23.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 99.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.6% |
| 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: | 866-675-2639 |
| Website: | www.alpsfunds.com |
| Inception Date: | July 6, 2009 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.19% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.37% |
