ETF Evaluator:
AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
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Risk
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ETF Details
AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF Overview
AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF (LOWV) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). AllianceBernstein launched the ETF in 2023.
The investment seeks capital appreciation with an emphasis on lower volatility compared to the broader equity market.
The fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). The adviser seeks to achieve the fund’s investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies. The fund is non-diversified.
About AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF (LOWV)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 1.89 years: Kent Hargis (2023) and James Russo (2026). 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%. AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF has 71 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 41.2% 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.
AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF has 9.1% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 89.1% There is 9.1% 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). AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF has 1.9% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $203 million in total assets, which is below the $13 billion average for the Large 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.
LOWV 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 AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF has an expense ratio of 0.39%, which is 6% 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. AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 34%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 158% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF returned 3.6%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Large Blend category had an average return of -0.8%. 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.
AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF has a trailing yield of 0.86%, which is below the 1.16% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly.
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.
AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 5.7%, 3.8 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 10.0% over the past year (grade of F) and 14.7% over the past three years (grade of D).
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LOWV 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 |
|
| LOWV Return (NAV) | 3.6% | 3.7% | 10.0% | 14.7% | na | na |
| LOWV Return (Price) | 3.7% | 3.8% | 10.2% | 14.8% | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.175% | -0.104% | -0.244% | -0.096% | na | na |
| Large Blend Avg | -0.8% | 3.7% | 17.5% | 17.4% | 11.2% | 13.6% |
| LOWV Grade (NAV) | A | D | F | D | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 4.4% | -0.1% | -7.6% | -2.8% | na | na |
| LOWV Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.4% | 0.4% | na | na |
LOWV Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| LOWV Return (NAV) | 5.7% | 12.2% | 20.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| LOWV Return (Price) | 5.9% | 12.3% | 20.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.025% | 0.002% | 0.001% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Large Blend Avg | 9.5% | 15.3% | 21.9% | 22.9% | -17.1% | 26.9% | 18.3% | 29.6% | -5.1% | 21.5% | 11.4% |
| LOWV Grade (NAV) | F | D | D | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -3.8% | -3.1% | -1.5% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.72 |
| R-Squared: | 87% |
| Standard Deviation: | 10.2% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.75 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.83 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.9% |
| Total Assets: | $ 204 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 204 Mil |
| Turnover: | 34.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.39% |
| 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: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 3.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 1.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Hargis Kent (2023), Russo James (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 71 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 41.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 9.1% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 89.1% |
| Foreign Stock: | 9.1% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.9% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | AllianceBernstein |
| Phone Number: | 800-243-5994 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | March 21, 2023 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.39% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% |
