At a glance
ETHO charges 0.45% a year, above the 0.22% average of the 6 funds most like it (the 6th cheapest of 7). It has $189.6M in assets, the 5th largest of that group; it paid 0.69% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned +25.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 7 funds; over three years it returned +21.4% a year. At its worst it fell 36.7% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 28.5% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 5 months and 29 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 8.3% of the fund, out of 289 in all.
The short version
Amplify Etho Climate Leadership U.S. ETF (ETHO) tracks the Etho Climate Leadership Index — US. The index holds about 290 U.S. companies whose carbon emissions are at least 50% lower than their industry average. It screens out fossil fuel, tobacco, weapons and gambling companies. Every holding gets an equal weight, so smaller companies count as much as giants. At 0.45% a year, it costs about twice the 0.22% average of similar funds.
Price history
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ETHO +25.3% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHO official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +9.81% | — | +5.25% | +11.32% | +11.00% |
| ETHO price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +24.4% | +25.3% | +21.4% | +6.5% | +13.1% | +12.4% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, ETHO returned +25.3%, 1st of 7 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +6.5% and its 10-year +13.1%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 36.7% and regained its old high 4.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-22.5%); its best was 2019 (+34.6%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 36.7% (Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Aug 11, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +24.4% | — |
| 2025 | +10.2% | +9.81% |
| 2024 | +8.2% | +8.36% |
| 2023 | +14.4% | +14.80% |
| 2022 | -22.5% | -22.00% |
| 2021 | +22.1% | +21.25% |
| 2020 | +25.4% | +25.21% |
| 2019 | +34.6% | +34.72% |
| 2018 | -5.0% | -4.51% |
| 2017 | +24.1% | +23.55% |
| 2016 | +13.4% | +13.68% |
| 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 | Lost 36.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 36.7%, back to its old high 4.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 28.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 28.5%, back to its old high 28.7 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.5600 | +36.6% |
| 2024 | $0.4100 | -52.3% |
| 2023 | $0.8600 | +59.6% |
| 2022 | $0.5390 | +25.3% |
| 2021 | $0.4300 | +7.5% |
| 2020 | $0.4000 | +14.3% |
| 2019 | $0.3500 | +20.7% |
| 2018 | $0.2900 | +3.6% |
| 2017 | $0.2800 | -12.5% |
| 2016 | $0.3200 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 289 securities; the ten largest made up 8.35% of assets. It also reported 3.11% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| MaxLinear Inc | 2.13% | |
| SELLAS Life Sciences Group Inc | 1.00% | |
| Aehr Test Systems | 0.75% | |
| CEVA Inc | 0.73% | |
| Veeco Instruments Inc | 0.65% | |
| Datadog Inc | 0.64% | |
| PDF Solutions Inc | 0.62% | |
| Corcept Therapeutics Inc | 0.62% | |
| Semtech Corp | 0.61% | |
| Personalis Inc | 0.60% | |
| Sterling Infrastructure Inc | 0.59% | |
| KLA Corp | 0.59% | |
| Onto Innovation Inc | 0.53% | |
| Veracyte Inc | 0.52% | |
| Commvault Systems Inc | 0.52% |
By country
United States 97.07%Bermuda 0.57%Sweden 0.54%Ireland 0.46%United Kingdom 0.41%By asset type
Stocks 99.79%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors withdrew a net $7K (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +10.80%, +4.10%, +5.77%.
How it works
ETHO tracks the Etho Climate Leadership Index — US. Etho Capital built the index, and Solactive AG calculates it. The starting pool is U.S.-listed companies worth at least $100 million. Each one gets a "carbon impact" score: its total greenhouse gas emissions, including its supply chain, divided by its market value. The index mainly keeps "Carbon Leaders," meaning companies that score at least 50% better than their industry average. It then removes fossil fuel energy companies, tobacco, aerospace and defense firms that make weapons, and gambling, gold and silver companies. It also drops companies that NGOs flag for harms such as deforestation. Some companies, such as solar panel makers, can be added back because their products deliver enough environmental benefit.
The index is rebuilt once a year in April. At that point every company is set to an equal weight. There is no fixed number of holdings. Etho Capital expects 250 to 450, and the index had 311 as of September 30, 2025, with heavy exposure to technology and industrials. Weights drift between resets. As of June 30, 2026, the fund held 289 companies. MaxLinear was the largest at 2.1% of assets, followed by SELLAS Life Sciences at 1.0% and Aehr Test Systems at 0.8%. The top 10 made up just 8.35%.
Amplify Investments and its sub-adviser, Tidal Investments, buy the index stocks in about the same proportions. They make no defensive moves when markets fall.
What it really costs
- ETHO charges 0.45% a year, versus an average of 0.22% for the similar funds below (6th of 7, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $46 in the first year and $567 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHO | $46 | $144 | $252 | $567 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is an all-stock fund with narrow climate screens, equal weighting and above-average costs, so it fits better as a smaller position than as a whole portfolio.
ETHO could add a climate-screened, equal-weighted slice of U.S. stocks that leans away from the largest companies. It launched in November 2015, so it has no record from the 2008 crisis. In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 36.7%, its deepest drop. It recovered by August 11, 2020, about 4.6 months after the low. The 2022 slide took far longer. A 28.5% decline bottomed on June 16, 2022, and the fund needed about 28.7 months to recover, until November 6, 2024. Its worst calendar year was 2022, down 22.0%.
Selling shares for spending in a stretch like 2022 would have locked in losses that took over two years to win back. Income is small: a 0.69% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. The 0.45% expense ratio is about double the 0.22% peer average. 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 who want U.S. stocks screened for low carbon emissions compared with industry peers, with fossil fuel, tobacco, weapons and gambling companies excluded.
- People comfortable with equal weighting, which gives about 290 companies similar starting weights rather than letting the largest firms dominate.
- Investors seeking a smaller satellite position that leans toward technology and industrials, the sectors where the prospectus says the index has significant exposure.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.45% expense ratio is about double the 0.22% average of similar funds, and some of those charge just 0.07%.
- Anyone who needs steady income: the trailing yield was 0.69% as of October 27, 2026, and the fund pays only once a year.
- Those who can't sit through long recoveries: after falling 28.5% in 2022, the fund needed about 28.7 months from its low to regain its peak.
Close alternatives
Matched by closest holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports (no similar fund shares 20% or more of its holdings).
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHO this fund | — | 0.45% | $189.6M | +25.3% | +21.4% |
| XJR iShares ESG Select Screened S&P Small-Cap E… | 18% | 0.12% | $160.7M | +15.1% | +18.5% |
| CVMC Calvert US Mid-Cap Core Responsible Index E… | 18% | 0.15% | $102.8M | +18.6% | +21.1% |
| VBK Vanguard Small Cap Growth ETF | 18% | 0.07% | $47.02B | +10.3% | +19.4% |
| BFOR ALPS Barron's 400 ETF | 17% | 0.65% | $235.7M | +15.5% | +22.0% |
| JMEE JPMorgan Small & Mid Cap Enhanced Equity ETF | 17% | 0.24% | $2.89B | +16.8% | +19.5% |
| VIOO Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF | 17% | 0.07% | $6.45B | +16.7% | +18.6% |
Questions investors ask
Is ETHO a good investment for retirement?
It depends on the role it plays. ETHO holds only stocks, about 290 climate-screened U.S. companies, so it carries full stock-market risk. It fell 36.7% in the 2020 COVID crash and lost 22.0% in calendar 2022. After its June 2022 low, it took about 28.7 months to get back to its earlier peak. Its yield was just 0.69% as of October 27, 2026. It may suit investors who want a values-based satellite position rather than a whole portfolio.
Does ETHO hold oil and gas stocks?
No. The index screens out all companies in the fossil fuel energy sector. It also excludes tobacco companies, aerospace and defense firms that make weapons, and gambling, gold and silver companies. It drops some companies that NGOs flag for harms such as deforestation. The prospectus warns that the fund may trail the broader market when those excluded groups do well. The index can still add companies, such as solar panel makers, whose products the index provider judges to deliver enough sustainability benefit.
What is ETHO's expense ratio?
ETHO charges 0.45% a year, according to its prospectus filed January 28, 2026. That is about double the 0.22% average of similar funds, and it ranks 6th of 7 on cost in its comparison group. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested with a 5% annual return would cost about $46 after one year, $252 after five years and $567 after 10 years. Broader small-cap funds such as VBK and VIOO charge 0.07%.
Does ETHO pay a dividend?
Yes, but it is small and paid once a year. Over the 12 months through October 27, 2026, ETHO paid about $0.56 per share, a yield of 0.69%. The fund picks stocks by carbon screens, not by dividends, so it produces little income for investors who need regular cash. Investors who rely on their portfolio for spending money may want to compare it with funds built for income.
ETHO vs XJR: what's the difference?
Both are screened U.S. stock funds, but only about 18% of their holdings overlap. XJR, the iShares ESG Select Screened S&P Small-Cap ETF, charges 0.12% a year, compared with 0.45% for ETHO. ETHO uses carbon-intensity screens and equal weighting across about 290 companies. Over the year through October 27, 2026, ETHO returned 25.3% and XJR returned 15.1%. Over three years, ETHO averaged 21.4% a year and XJR 18.5%. No similar fund shares 20% or more of ETHO's holdings.