ETF Evaluator:
M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
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| 31.8% | Astoria US Equal Weight Quality KingsETF (ROE) |
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ETF Details
M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF Overview
M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF (SASS) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). M.D. Sass ETF launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation.
The fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that follows a high conviction, opportunistic U.S. equity strategy. The fund pursues its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks and American Depositary Receipts. The fund is non-diversified.
About M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF (SASS)
There are 6 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.41 years: Ari Sass (2026), Martin Sass (2026), Shimeng Yu (2026), Craig Barney (2026), Eric Ward (2026) and William Chiappone (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF has 24 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 62.8% 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.
M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 98.9% There is 0.0% 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). M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF has 1.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $75 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.
SASS 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 M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF has an expense ratio of 0.75%, which is 81% 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. M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities 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 158% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF returned -4.3%, which earned it a grade of F, 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.
M.D. Sass Concentrated Equities ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 1.16% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually 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.
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SASS 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 |
|
| SASS Return (NAV) | -4.3% | -1.4% | na | na | na | na |
| SASS Return (Price) | -5.2% | -2.3% | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.852% | 0.950% | na | na | na | na |
| Large Blend Avg | -0.8% | 3.7% | 17.5% | 17.4% | 11.2% | 13.6% |
| SASS Grade (NAV) | F | F | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -3.5% | -5.1% | na | na | na | na |
| SASS Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
SASS Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| SASS Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| SASS Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | 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% |
| SASS Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | na | na | 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: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 76 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 76 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.75% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | N/A |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 6 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Sass Ari (2026), Sass Martin (2026), Yu Shimeng (2026), Barney Craig (2026), Ward Eric (2026), Chiappone William (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 24 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 62.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 98.9% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | -0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.2% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | M.D. Sass ETF |
| Phone Number: | 800-617-0004 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | March 3, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.75% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% |
