ETF Evaluator:
Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Small Growth Over the Last Year
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| 34.7% | Invesco S&P SmallCap 600® Pure Gr ETF (RZG) |
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ETF Details
Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF Overview
Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF (TMFS) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Growth exchange-traded fund (ETF). Motley Fool launched the ETF in 2018.
The investment seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
The fund invests in a focused portfolio of the common stocks of high-quality companies domiciled in the United States that are engaged in a broad range of industries. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities issued by small capitalization companies with growth characteristics. It is non-diversified.
About Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF (TMFS)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.29 years: Anthony Arsta (2025), Nathan Weisshaar (2018) and Charles Travers (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: Russell 3000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Russell 2000 Growth TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF has 35 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 42.0% 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.
Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 93.3% 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). Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF has 6.8% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $57 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Small Growth 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.
TMFS 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 Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Growth category. Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF has an expense ratio of 0.85%, which is 97% 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. Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 40%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 74% for the Small Growth category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF returned -2.1%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Small Growth category had an average return of -5.5%. 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.
Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 0.44% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income 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.
Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 1.7%, 15.0 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 1.5% over the past year (grade of F), 5.4% over the past three years (grade of F) and -1.7% per year over the past five years (grade of F).
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TMFS 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 |
|
| TMFS Return (NAV) | -2.1% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 5.4% | -1.7% | na |
| TMFS Return (Price) | -2.0% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 5.5% | -1.7% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.105% | -0.159% | -0.187% | -0.069% | 0.021% | na |
| Small Growth Avg | -5.5% | 4.5% | 27.0% | 12.8% | 4.3% | 11.0% |
| TMFS Grade (NAV) | A | F | F | F | F | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 3.4% | -3.4% | -25.5% | -7.4% | -6.0% | na |
| TMFS Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | na |
TMFS Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| TMFS Return (NAV) | 1.7% | -1.7% | 15.6% | 25.1% | -33.0% | -2.3% | 57.9% | 38.3% | na | na | na |
| TMFS Return (Price) | 1.7% | -1.6% | 15.4% | 25.4% | -32.8% | -2.9% | 58.5% | 38.3% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.038% | -0.036% | -0.010% | 0.011% | -0.005% | 0.270% | 0.011% | -0.1% | na | na | na |
| Small Growth Avg | 16.7% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 17.8% | -26.9% | 8.9% | 43.2% | 28.5% | -6.7% | 21.2% | 12.7% |
| TMFS Grade (NAV) | F | F | B | A | F | F | A | A | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -15.0% | -12.8% | 4.5% | 7.3% | -6.0% | -11.2% | 14.7% | 9.9% | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.10 |
| R-Squared: | 49% |
| Standard Deviation: | 20.6% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.96 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.68 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 57 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 57 Mil |
| Turnover: | 40.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.85% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Russell 3000 TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 7.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Weisshaar Nathan (2018), Travers Charles (2023), Arsta Anthony (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 35 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 42.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 93.3% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | -0.1% |
| Cash: | 6.8% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Motley Fool |
| Phone Number: | 703-302-1100 |
| Website: | www.rbbfund.com |
| Inception Date: | October 29, 2018 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.85% (Rating: High) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.43% |
