Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF

AVES

Valor de mercado US$ 1,52 bi

Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF is rated Hold due to underperformance versus passive peers and poor sector positioning for current market trends. AVES is significantly underweight in information technology and overweight in industrials/materials, missing out on AI-driven growth opportunities in emerging markets. The fund's value tilt exposes investors to liquidity risks and cheap-for-a-reason stocks, with a Sharpe ratio of 0.94 since inception.

The Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF is rated Hold due to underperformance versus passive peers and poor sector positioning. AVES is significantly underweight in information technology and overweight in materials and industrials, missing AI-driven growth in emerging markets. The fund's value tilt in emerging markets exposes investors to liquidity risks and structurally challenged, cheap-for-a-reason stocks.

At the same time developed markets have been generating policy and macro noise, emerging markets have been quietly outperforming. The inextricable relationship between the direction of U.S. monetary policy and emerging market risk assets remains powerful, but this time the rally is not just about the Fed.

Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF offers diversified exposure to over 1,700 EM stocks, emphasizing value and profitability factors. AVES has outperformed EEM since inception with lower volatility, but recent 12-month returns lag EEM by 3 percentage points. The fund's portfolio is highly diversified but carries elevated geopolitical risk, with 46% in China and Taiwan.

Emerging markets equity returns have been driven by extreme mega-cap concentration, with index breadth collapsing to historic lows and masking weakness across much of the opportunity set. This concentration has distorted relative results for active managers, particularly those constrained by diversification rules or broad benchmarks, as small-cap underperformance and index construction limit flexibility.

I am skeptical about seeking growth in emerging markets due to backward-looking, market-cap-weighted ETFs that miss early-stage growth. Emerging markets carry excessive risks—political, policy, and valuation—that outweigh their growth prospects compared to US tech with secular tailwinds. Most emerging market ETFs compromise growth potential by focusing on large caps, failing to capture true growth opportunities in smaller companies.

As more and more investors look to diversify into international equities, it's worth asking: Which ETFs can provide the best solutions? While broader international equities funds have done well, much of that performance came amid the spring drop-off in U.S. stocks.

Emerging markets have been challenging for passive investors due to China's weakness, making a case for active management like AVES. AVES is an actively managed ETF launched in 2021 with promising results, focusing on undervalued stocks in emerging markets. AVES has a well-diversified portfolio with a focus on profitability and value, outperforming passive indices like EEM and offering exposure to emerging market potential.

Foreign investing presents significant benefits, but simple, passive strategies may not be cut out for it. A U.S. equities-focused passive strategy invests in some of the most closely scrutinized firms on Earth.

Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF holds about 1500 stocks listed in emerging markets and showing value and profitability characteristics. AVES is well diversified across holdings and sectors, shows attractive valuation metrics, and has performed quite well relative to peers. However, investors willing to limit geopolitical and regulatory risks would likely prefer ETFs excluding China.