Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF (DUSA)
DUSA: Value, Low Volatility Exposure To Weigh On Returns, Hold Rating Maintained
I maintain a neutral stance on the Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF, expecting it to underperform IVV for the rest of 2026. DUSA has modestly outperformed IVV year-to-date despite its low-beta, high-EY portfolio, which I expected to restrain upside capture. Nevertheless, I still anticipate the growth and GARP factors to retake leadership from low volatility and value.
DUSA: Defending The Neutral Stance Despite Recent Outperformance
Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF retains a Hold rating, as its growth-light factor mix and soft past performance do not support an upgrade. DUSA's portfolio is underweight in growth and GARP factors, while overweight in low volatility and value, limiting its upside potential versus IVV amid de-escalation. Despite the YTD outperformance, DUSA's total return since inception in 2017 is still approximately 60% weaker than IVV's.
Dodd Kittsley on Why Active Management Is Back in Focus
In a recent webcast, Dodd Kittsley, director of ETF strategy at Davis Advisors, sat down with Cinthia Murphy, director of research at VettaFi, to unpack how active management is evolving — and where the Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF (DUSA) fits into that shift.
DUSA Crosses $1 Billion Milestone as Value Resurgence Gains Steam
The Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF (DUSA) officially surpassed $1 billion in assets under management, marking a significant milestone for the active ETF. This achievement comes as the fund celebrates nine years of navigating the U.S. large-cap landscape with a high-conviction, benchmark-agnostic approach.
Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF (DUSA) Surpasses $1 Billion in Assets
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Davis Advisors, announced that the Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF (DUSA) has surpassed $1 billion in assets under management.
A New KAT in the ETF Jungle: Scharf's Funds Arrive With Scale
Yesterday a pair of ETFs from a new asset manager, Scharf Investments, began trading. While this might not seem case for celebration, the firm has a record of 42 years of active management and the funds — KAT and GKAT — launched with approximately $900 million in assets.
DUSA: A Concentrated Portfolio With Solid Track Record
DUSA offers a high conviction, value-focused approach with a concentrated portfolio, providing lower correlation and potential shelter if markets turn volatile. The fund trades at a modest valuation with a P/E below both the broader market and most peers, making it attractive for value-oriented investors. DUSA has delivered strong risk-adjusted returns and outperformed most value peers, though it trails the very top performers.
DUSA: Reexamination Finds The Same Issues, A Hold
DUSA is an actively managed vehicle, placing bets on just a handful of high-quality U.S. and international stocks. In the current iteration, there are 26 equities in its portfolio, with most net assets allocated to financials. Its bet on value in tech via INTC has backfired. The stock has been the key detractor from its performance, potentially leading to its inability to beat IVV in 2024.
DUSA: Unconvincing ETF With A High Fee
Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF is an actively managed ETF with a portfolio of only 26 companies and a 0.61% expense ratio. The DUSA ETF is overweight in its top holdings and in financials. DUSA has underperformed the S&P 500 and some passively managed growth and quality ETFs.
DUSA: High Cost, High Conviction Research Practices Lead To Mixed Results
DUSA is a high cost, high conviction ETF benchmarked against the S&P 500 Index. It has a 0.61% expense ratio and $521 million in assets under management. Recent results for active large-cap blend funds are encouraging, but for the most part, active funds have lagged passive funds over the last five years. DUSA is no different. Despite emphasizing how different DUSA is compared to broad market funds like SPY, ironically, its recent success is because it's overweighted mega-caps like Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Alphabet.
DUSA Has Hit Its Stride, But Concerns Remain
DUSA is an actively managed vehicle offering exposure to an ultra-minimalist equity portfolio calibrated using sophisticated methods based on the Davis Investment Discipline. It seems DUSA may have finally hit its stride after years of underperformance, as it beat IVV in 2023, with strong momentum lasting into 2024. However, while not being bearish and appreciating its improvements on the growth factor front, I would prefer to maintain a more neutral opinion.
DUSA: Quality-Heavy Portfolio Lags On Growth, Remains A Hold
DUSA is an actively managed ETF with a highly selective investment strategy based on the Davis Investment Discipline. 2023 was grossly successful for the fund as it beat IVV for the first time since its inception in January 2017. Since October, DUSA's portfolio has seen notable changes; its quality exposure increased, yet growth is still mostly soft.
DUSA: Solid Earnings Yield Does Not Guarantee Strong Performance
Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF has an ultra-minimalist, high-conviction approach to portfolio management. It has placed the lion's share of its bets on financials, which is one of the key reasons for its earnings yield being so alluring. After reassessing DUSA's factor exposures, I see no reason for a rating upgrade as its relatively strong EY of about 8% is insufficient to succeed in the current environment.
DUSA: Tilting Toward A More Skeptical View Owing To Performance Nuances
DUSA is an actively managed vehicle with a concentrated portfolio of mostly U.S. mega and large caps, with a footprint in developed markets. Almost 44% of its net assets are allocated to the 5 main holdings. The 5 smallest equity positions account for just 4.4%. DUSA has beaten IVV this year amid the growth rotation; nevertheless, the longer-term returns reveal the strategy's weaknesses.
Meet an Active ETF: Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF
In the last five years, many well-established asset managers joined the ETF market, including Capital Group, DoubleLine, Federated, Harbor, Neuberger Berman, and Matthews Asia. But Davis Advisors was ahead of them, launching its first three ETFs in January 2017 and its fourth in March 2018.
Active Management A Mixed Bag For ETFs
These ETFs have been outperforming recently, but there are caveats for investors to keep in mind.
The Active ETF Tent Is Growing Larger
Despite representing just 4% of ETF assets at the end of the first quarter of 2022, actively managed ETFs pulled in 11% of the net inflows in the first three months of the year.
3 Reasons Why This Isn't Another 'Tech Bubble'
Investors have been on a wild ride over the past week as tech stocks plunged, dragging down major global indexes with them.
Reflections After An Exceptional Month Within An Extraordinary Year - Stock Market Update, September 2, 2020
More than half of the days in August saw more S&P 500 stocks down than up, yet the index itself posted a 7% gain for the month.
U.S. Stock Market: A Look From Abroad
The US stock market may look more attractive than it was before the pandemic. Capital inflows from emerging markets and monetary actions create a positive outlo