ETF Evaluator:
Fundamentals First ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 21)
Best Performing in Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation Over the Last Year
| 26.3% | Astoria Real Asset ETF (PPI) |
| 25.5% | Keating Active ETF (KEAT) |
| 21.0% | Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation () |
| 19.1% | Fundamentals First ETF (KNOW) |
| 18.5% | iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allc ETF (AOA) |
Risk
Index
Risk
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ETF Details
Fundamentals First ETF Overview
Fundamentals First ETF (KNOW) is an actively managed Allocation Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation exchange-traded fund (ETF). Mason Capital Partners launched the ETF in 2024.
The investment seeks income and capital growth.
The fund’s investment strategy is a long-only, long-term approach as it seeks to buy and hold its investments, provided that such investments meet the investment criteria used by the fund’s adviser. The fund will primarily invest in publicly-traded equity securities and fixed income securities. Equity securities include common stock and American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), both sponsored and unsponsored, and may be made in companies of any market capitalization, industry or geographical location including foreign and emerging market countries.
About Fundamentals First ETF (KNOW)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 2.44 years: Albert Mason (2024), Elliot Bruce (2024) and Gregg Picillo (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 3 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100%, Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 30% and S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 70%. Fundamentals First ETF has 93 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 28.7% 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.
Fundamentals First ETF is part of the Allocation global asset class and is within the Allocation ETF group. Fundamentals First ETF has 26.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 55.5% There is 24.5% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 10.6% (9.1% domestic bond, 1.5% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Fundamentals First ETF has 9.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $7 million in total assets, which is below the $810 million average for the Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation 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.
KNOW 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 Fundamentals First ETF expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation category. Fundamentals First ETF has an expense ratio of 1.09%, which is 87% 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. Fundamentals First 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 44% for the Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Fundamentals First ETF returned -1.8%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation category had an average return of 0.6%. 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.
Fundamentals First ETF has a trailing yield of 1.27%, which is below the 1.95% 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.
Fundamentals First ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 14.3%, 3.2 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 19.1% over the past year (grade of C).
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KNOW 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 |
|
| KNOW Return (NAV) | -1.8% | 2.9% | 19.1% | na | na | na |
| KNOW Return (Price) | -2.3% | 2.5% | 18.4% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.521% | 0.374% | 0.688% | na | na | na |
| Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation Avg | 0.6% | 0.6% | 21.0% | 16.7% | 8.7% | 10.1% |
| KNOW Grade (NAV) | F | A | C | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -2.4% | 2.3% | -1.9% | na | na | na |
| KNOW Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.6% | na | na | na |
KNOW Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| KNOW Return (NAV) | 14.3% | 8.6% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| KNOW Return (Price) | 13.4% | 8.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.064% | -0.020% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation Avg | 11.1% | 20.1% | 10.2% | 15.0% | -6.1% | 15.4% | 12.8% | 22.5% | -7.8% | 20.0% | 7.6% |
| KNOW Grade (NAV) | B | F | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 3.2% | -11.6% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 7 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 7 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 1.09% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 2.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 2.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Mason Albert (2024), Bruce Elliot (2024), Picillo Gregg (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 93 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 28.7% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 26.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 55.5% |
| Foreign Stock: | 24.5% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 9.1% |
| Foreign Bond: | 1.5% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 9.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Mason Capital Partners |
| Phone Number: | 617-228-5190 |
| Website: | www.fundamentalsfirstfund.com |
| Inception Date: | February 21, 2024 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.09% (Rating: High) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.58% |
