Fidelity Enhanced Mid Cap ETF

FMDE

Market cap $3.5B

Halftime in 2025 threw a spotlight on active small- and midcap funds via the SPIVA U.S. Mid-Year 2025 report. The trend of active ETF launches is outpacing their passive peers this year.

To some, $1 billion of ETF net inflows is not what it used to be. The U.S. ETF industry has gathered more than $700 billion of net inflows this year and is likely to again break the $1 trillion mark.

As volatility rises, it's hard not to look to investments that can help diversify portfolios. Even ahead of recent market events, significant concentration risk loomed as markets relied heavily on just a handful of firms.

FMDE uses quantitative models to select mid-cap stocks from the Russell Midcap Index, focusing on solid fundamentals and growth potential. The fund has higher exposure to technology and lower allocations to defensive sectors, enhancing growth but increasing volatility during market corrections. Fidelity Enhanced Mid Cap ETF has outperformed the Russell Midcap Index since inception but has higher downside risk during market downturns.

If investors entered 2025 excited by the prospect of rising small caps, they may first want to consider midcaps. Midcap firms offer much of the same upside that small caps do, with some additional benefits from their larger size.

One month into 2025, and ETFs are already off to the races, hauling in over $100 billion in net inflows in January. Hefty gains across the board reflect continued bullish sentiment on the stock market overall.

Cost is one reason why investors may prefer the ETF wrapper over mutual funds for active high-yield bond exposure. ETFs charge shareholders an expense ratio, which pays for fund management and operations.

FMDE offers exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies using a quantitative methodology, focusing on valuation, growth, and profitability indicators to outperform the Russell Midcap index. The fund has a diversified portfolio with lower valuations than its benchmark, making it a conservative mid-cap investment option. FMDE's sector allocation closely mirrors the Russell Midcap index, but with slightly overweight positions in technology and consumer discretionary, and underweight in real estate and consumer staples.

Fidelity Investments is making changes to its active high yield ETF, effectively lowering costs for investors. The fund's name changed from The Fidelity High Yield Factor ETF to the Fidelity Enhanced High Yield ETF on Oct. 10.

While some debate the merits of active versus passive investment, advisors and investors no longer have to choose one over the other. The Fidelity Enhanced ETFs offer the best of both worlds by providing exposures similar to core equity benchmarks but with the benefits of active management.