Cambria Global Value ETF

GVAL

Market cap $564M

For years, value investing has felt akin to waiting for a train that keeps getting delayed. The market has rewarded unbridled growth at any price going back to the mid-2010s.

Cambria Global Value ETF employs a unique, globally focused value strategy via the ownership of "cheap" equities within markets which are themselves undervalued relative to the universe of global stock markets. Despite a recent 64% twelve-month return, GVAL's structural weaknesses and poor long-term record undermine its investment appeal. I assign a sell rating due to GVAL's over-reliance on blunt valuation ratios and insufficient consideration of geopolitical risks in "cheap" markets.

For investors seeking momentum, Cambria Global Value ETF GVAL is probably on the radar. The fund just hit a 52-week high and is up 49.6% from its 52-week low price of $20.40/share.

Cambria Global Value ETF targets undervalued stocks in undervalued markets. GVAL is diversified in countries and holdings, with a focus on financials. While GVAL has underperformed IXUS since inception, it has recently outperformed both IXUS and the S&P 500 and leads peers since 2022.

Investors can eye global equity funds as AI bubble fears, U.S. market risks and Fed easing fuel demand for international diversification.

Cambria Global Value ETF claims to offer value by targeting low-CAPE markets, but many of its holdings lack fundamental business quality. Top holdings are concentrated in cyclical sectors like financials and commodities, with several companies generating inconsistent or negative FCF. Since inception, GVAL has delivered just 4.6% CAGR on a total return basis, not a great result on a risk-adjusted basis.

Active ETFs hit a record $1.39T in assets as investors shift from passive strategies amid 2025's volatile market climate. Some of the most-loved U.S.-listed actively-managed ETFs are JEPI and JEPQ.

The Cambria Global Value ETF uses the CAPE ratio to identify and invest in the world's cheapest equity markets, and then buy cheap securities in those countries. The fund has underperformed since its 2014 launch, but it is significantly ahead year-to-date. I am not a huge fan of the CAPE valuation methodology and believe its flaws have contributed to past underperformance in the fund.