ETF Evaluator:
STF Tactical Growth ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Tactical Allocation Over the Last Year
| 31.2% | Relative Sentiment Tactical Allc ETF (MOOD) |
| 27.5% | RH Tactical Rotation ETF (RHRX) |
| 25.2% | Cambria Global Momentum ETF (GMOM) |
| 24.3% | STF Tactical Growth ETF (TUG) |
| 23.1% | Alexis Practical Tactical ETF (LEXI) |
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Risk
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ETF Details
STF Tactical Growth ETF Overview
STF Tactical Growth ETF (TUG) is an actively managed Allocation Tactical Allocation exchange-traded fund (ETF). STFM launched the ETF in 2022.
The investment seeks long-term growth of capital.
The fund is an actively-managed ETF that seeks to achieve its investment objective by allocating its investments among a combination of (i) U.S. equity securities or ETFs that, in the aggregate, seek to replicate the Nasdaq-100® Index (the “Equity Index Allocation”), (ii) directly in, or in ETFs that hold, long-duration U.S. Treasury securities (the “Fixed Income Allocation”), and (iii) short-term U.S. Treasury bills, money market funds, and cash and/or cash equivalents (the “Cash Equivalents”). It is non-diversified.
About STF Tactical Growth ETF (TUG)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.21 years: Jonathan Molchan (2022). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. STF Tactical Growth ETF has 104 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 49.0% 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.
STF Tactical Growth ETF is part of the Allocation global asset class and is within the Allocation ETF group. STF Tactical Growth ETF has 2.8% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 96.4% There is 2.8% 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). STF Tactical Growth ETF has 0.9% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $32 million in total assets, which is below the $144 million average for the Tactical 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.
TUG 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 STF Tactical Growth ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Tactical Allocation category. STF Tactical Growth ETF has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which is 33% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. 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. STF Tactical Growth ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 4%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.3 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 261% for the Tactical Allocation category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, STF Tactical Growth ETF returned -4.9%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Tactical Allocation category had an average return of -1.4%. 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.
STF Tactical Growth ETF has a trailing yield of 0.52%, which is below the 2.15% 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.
STF Tactical Growth ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 14.2%, 6.7 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 24.3% over the past year (grade of A) and 19.8% over the past three years (grade of A).
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TUG 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 |
|
| TUG Return (NAV) | -4.9% | 5.1% | 24.3% | 19.8% | na | na |
| TUG Return (Price) | -5.4% | 4.6% | 23.9% | 19.6% | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.485% | 0.466% | 0.429% | 0.220% | na | na |
| Tactical Allocation Avg | -1.4% | 1.6% | 15.9% | 10.6% | 5.4% | 7.4% |
| TUG Grade (NAV) | F | A | A | A | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -3.5% | 3.5% | 8.4% | 9.2% | na | na |
| TUG Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.9% | 1.0% | na | na |
TUG Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| TUG Return (NAV) | 14.2% | 20.3% | 19.7% | 37.1% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| TUG Return (Price) | 13.5% | 20.4% | 19.4% | 37.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.045% | 0.007% | -0.017% | 0.015% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Tactical Allocation Avg | 7.5% | 12.7% | 11.7% | 10.7% | -13.3% | 16.9% | 7.5% | 14.0% | -6.3% | 19.2% | 7.1% |
| TUG Grade (NAV) | A | A | A | A | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 6.7% | 7.6% | 8.0% | 26.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.28 |
| R-Squared: | 50% |
| Standard Deviation: | 17.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.44 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.38 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.5% |
| Total Assets: | $ 33 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 33 Mil |
| Turnover: | 4.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.65% |
| 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: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 4.2 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.2 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Molchan Jonathan (2022) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 104 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 49.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.8% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 96.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 2.8% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | -0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.9% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | STFM |
| Phone Number: | 866-590-9112 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | May 18, 2022 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.65% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.97% |
