At a glance
EMPB charges 2.21% a year. It has $30.9M in assets. Its ten largest positions make up 98.1% of the fund, out of 18 in all.
The short version
Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF (EMPB) is an actively managed fund from ETF Architect that typically uses 12 to 24 ETFs to own areas a momentum algorithm expects to beat the U.S. stock market and short, or bet against, those it expects to lag. The shorts, about 20% to 70% of assets, aim to cushion declines, but the 2.21% annual expense ratio is high for an ETF, and the record starts in December 2024.
Price history
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EMPB — over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMPB official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +14.61% | — | — | — | — |
| EMPB price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +5.7% | — | — | — | — | — |
- The deepest fall in its price history was 5.1% (Aug 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026), not yet recovered.
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
No distribution history is available for this fund.
Distributions through Oct 27, 2026.What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 18 securities; the ten largest made up 98.07% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| ARK Innovation ETF | 28.12% | |
| Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF | 23.32% | |
| State Street SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF | 7.85% | |
| Global X Uranium ETF | 7.79% | |
| Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 | 6.96% | |
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 6.88% | |
| State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | 6.78% | |
| ISHARES TRUST DJ HOME CONSTN | 6.71% | |
| Invesco Solar ETF | 6.45% | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | -2.79% | |
| State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF | -2.85% | |
| ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury | -2.90% | |
| State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF | -2.94% | |
| iShares US Telecommunications ETF | -2.98% | |
| State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF | -3.06% |
By country
United States 54.59%By asset type
Stocks 54.59%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $8.2M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +1.16%, -0.73%, +6.78%.
How it works
EMPB is actively managed, with no index. Its sub-adviser, NextGen EMP, Inc., runs a proprietary algorithm that tests asset classes and sectors for price momentum, the tendency of rising prices to keep rising, over periods within the prior 24 months. When its indicators, such as moving averages, clear a preset threshold for an area, the fund generally owns it. Otherwise, it may short it. Choices span U.S. stocks of all sizes, Treasurys and foreign stocks, mostly through ETFs.
Normally, long positions (holdings it owns) total about 100%, with shorts of 20% to 70%, for net exposure (longs minus shorts) of roughly 50% to 100%. Shorting means borrowing shares and unloading them, hoping to replace them cheaper later; if prices rise, losses have no ceiling. It typically holds four or fewer inverse ETFs, some leveraged, built to move opposite their targets each day, so longer-term results can stray. It reallocates at least monthly; portfolio turnover, a measure of trading, was 277%.
As of August 31, 2026, the fund held 18 positions. ARK Innovation ETF (28.12%) and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (23.32%) were the largest longs. Shorts of about 3% each included ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury, a position that gains if long-term Treasury prices rise. Despite "Trust Units" in its listing name, EMPB is not a unit investment trust.
What it really costs
- EMPB charges 2.21% a year.
- Of that, 1% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $224 in the first year and $2,544 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMPB | $224 | $691 | $1,185 | $2,544 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its algorithm-driven long/short approach, 2.21% expense ratio, concentrated holdings and short record point to a small, higher-risk slice rather than a foundation.
EMPB could add a rules-based long/short slice meant to cushion declines. But it launched December 11, 2024, so it has no record from the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its one full calendar year, 2025, returned 14.97%, per the prospectus filed March 30, 2026. In price data since June 9, 2026, its deepest drop was 5.1%, from August 27 to October 23, 2026, unrecovered as of October 27, 2026. For anyone drawing money in a bad year, its shorts remain untested in a deep downturn.
It targets growth, not income; its trailing 12-month yield was 0% as of October 27, 2026. Costs are high: the SEC's example, assuming 5% yearly returns, puts expenses on $10,000 at $224 after one year and $2,544 after 10. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting a small satellite run by a momentum algorithm that rotates among roughly 12 to 24 ETFs and reallocates at least monthly.
- Growth-focused investors who want short positions of 20% to 70% of assets as a possible partial offset when markets fall.
- Those pairing low-cost core funds with a higher-cost active slice; 2025's 14.97% return came with a weakest quarter down 1.18%.
Look elsewhere if
- Income seekers and cost-conscious investors: the trailing yield was 0% as of October 27, 2026, and the expense ratio is 2.21%.
- Anyone wanting a tested record: launched December 11, 2024, the fund has no history from the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns.
- Investors wanting broad diversification: the non-diversified fund had 28.12% in ARK Innovation ETF and 23.32% in Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF as of August 31, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
No close alternatives found.
Questions investors ask
What does the EMPB ETF invest in?
EMPB invests mainly in other ETFs, holding long positions in areas its sub-adviser's momentum algorithm expects to beat the U.S. stock market and short positions in areas expected to lag. As of August 31, 2026, it held 18 positions, led by ARK Innovation ETF at 28.12% and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF at 23.32%. Shorts included sector funds for utilities, industrials and materials, plus ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury. It reallocates at least monthly, so the mix can shift.
What is EMPB's expense ratio?
EMPB's expense ratio, its yearly cost as a share of assets, is 2.21%, according to the prospectus filed March 30, 2026. That includes a 1% management fee plus other expenses, and it is high for an ETF. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 earning 5% a year would incur about $224 in costs after one year, $691 after three, $1,185 after five and $2,544 after 10. Trading costs from its 277% turnover are not part of that ratio.
Does EMPB pay dividends?
Not in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, when its trailing yield was 0%. Any distributions the fund makes are expected once a year. EMPB's objective is capital appreciation rather than income, so returns come almost entirely from price changes in its long and short positions. Investors who need regular cash payments would have to rely on other holdings for that cash flow.
Is EMPB a leveraged or inverse ETF?
No, EMPB itself is not a leveraged or inverse ETF, but it can use both tools inside its portfolio. It typically holds four or fewer inverse or inverse leveraged ETFs, which reset daily and can stray from their targets over longer periods; the sub-adviser says it monitors them daily. It also shorts other ETFs, with shorts of roughly 20% to 70% of assets. Losses on short positions are theoretically unlimited if prices keep rising.
How has EMPB performed since it launched?
EMPB returned 14.97% in calendar 2025, its first full year, according to the prospectus filed March 30, 2026. Its strongest quarter gained 11.89% (ended June 30, 2025) and its weakest lost 1.18% (ended December 31, 2025). Later, its deepest drop in price data starting June 9, 2026, was 5.1%, from August 27 to October 23, 2026. It launched December 11, 2024, so it has not been tested in a major bear market.