At a glance
HFGO charges 0.59% a year, above the 0.52% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 9). It has $200.9M in assets, the 8th largest of that group. Over the past year it returned +2.5% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +27.0% a year. At its worst it fell 41.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 20 months after the low. Its ten largest positions make up 61.4% of the fund, out of 48 in all.
The short version
Hartford Large Cap Growth ETF (HFGO) is an actively managed fund from The Hartford in which Wellington Management picks large growth stocks; it held 48 as of July 31, 2026. It is concentrated: NVIDIA alone was 16% of assets and the top 10 holdings were 61%. Its 0.59% expense ratio (yearly cost) is above the 0.52% average of similar funds and far above Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF's 0.07%.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
HFGO +2.5% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFGO official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +40.86% | — | — | — | +5.48% |
| HFGO price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +5.1% | +2.5% | +27.0% | — | — | +7.9% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, HFGO returned +2.5%, 6th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-36.7%); its best was 2023 (+42.5%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 44.6% (Nov 16, 2021 to Jun 16, 2022), recovered by May 29, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +5.1% | — |
| 2025 | +15.5% | — |
| 2024 | +40.7% | +40.86% |
| 2023 | +42.5% | +42.29% |
| 2022 | -36.7% | -36.59% |
| 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 | Lost 40.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 41.2%, back to its old high 20.2 months after the low |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 48 securities; the ten largest made up 61.39% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp | 16.05% | |
| Alphabet Inc | 10.48% | |
| Broadcom Inc | 6.14% | |
| Apple Inc | 5.72% | |
| Microsoft Corp | 5.27% | |
| Amazon.com Inc | 5.01% | |
| Eli Lilly & Co | 4.15% | |
| Meta Platforms Inc | 3.11% | |
| Sandisk Corp | 2.74% | |
| Arista Networks Inc | 2.71% | |
| Corning Inc | 2.18% | |
| ASML Holding NV | 1.91% | |
| Seagate Technology Holdings PLC | 1.88% | |
| Spotify Technology SA | 1.87% | |
| Flex Ltd | 1.86% |
By country
United States 86.58%Canada 2.99%Netherlands 1.91%Ireland 1.88%Luxembourg 1.87%By asset type
Stocks 98.92%RA 0.23%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 74.9% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jul 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors added a net $19.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +8.97%, -3.39%, -4.60%.
How it works
HFGO does not track an index. Its goal is capital appreciation, meaning growth in the value of its shares. Wellington Management uses fundamental analysis, which means studying each company's business and finances, to find companies with improving operations and long-term growth potential. It builds the portfolio one stock at a time. At least 80% of net assets must be in large companies, defined as those within the size range of the Russell 1000 and S&P 500 indexes. As of September 30, 2025, that range ran from about $1.07 billion to $4.55 trillion.
The fund is non-diversified. That means it may put larger stakes in fewer companies than a diversified fund can. As of July 31, 2026, it held 48 stocks, and the top 10 made up 61.4% of assets. The largest were NVIDIA (16.1%), Alphabet (10.5%), Broadcom (6.1%), Apple (5.7%), Microsoft (5.3%) and Amazon (5.0%). The prospectus says the manager may focus on information technology, consumer discretionary and communication services. About 86.6% of assets were in US companies, with smaller stakes in firms such as ASML (Netherlands) and Spotify (Luxembourg).
Holdings are not rebalanced on a fixed schedule. They change at the manager's discretion. Portfolio turnover was 68% in the prospectus, so the manager replaced roughly two-thirds of the portfolio over a year. As of July 31, 2026, the fund used no derivatives and held 0.52% in cash.
What it really costs
- HFGO charges 0.59% a year, versus an average of 0.52% for the similar funds below (7th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $60 in the first year and $738 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFGO | $60 | $189 | $329 | $738 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a concentrated, non-diversified growth fund that pays no income and has swung harder than the market, so it fits better as a small side position than as a foundation.
HFGO could add a focused bet on large growth companies, but it has moved more than the market. Its beta, a measure of how much a fund moves when the market moves, was 1.55 over the year to October 27, 2026. The fund launched in November 2021, so it has no record in the 2008 or 2020 crashes. It fell 41.2% in the 2022 bear market, and 2022 was its worst calendar year at -36.6%. Its deepest drop was 44.6%, from November 2021 to June 2022, and it took 23.4 months from the low to recover, until May 2024. Anyone drawing money in a year like that would be cashing out shares at low prices. The fund paid no distributions, so it provides no income. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $60 in the first year. 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 Wellington Management to hand-pick a concentrated large-cap growth portfolio, led by NVIDIA, Alphabet and Broadcom as of July 31, 2026.
- Long-term investors who can tolerate big drops: it fell 44.6% from November 2021 to June 2022, then needed about 23 months to recover.
- Savers still building wealth who don't need payouts; the fund has recorded no distributions, so returns come entirely from share price changes.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (MGK) charges 0.07% versus HFGO's 0.59%, with a 56% holdings overlap.
- Retirees who need regular cash income; with no distributions, withdrawals would require selling shares, possibly after a fall like 2022's 36.6% loss.
- Anyone wanting broad diversification: it is non-diversified, held 48 stocks, and its top 10 made up 61% of assets as of July 31, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFGO this fund | — | 0.59% | $200.9M | +2.5% | +27.0% |
| PJFG PGIM Jennison Focused Growth ETF | 64% | 0.75% | $140.3M | +3.6% | +25.2% |
| FBCG Fidelity Blue Chip Growth ETF | 60% | 0.59% | $6.92B | +9.9% | +29.8% |
| WINN Harbor Long-Term Growers ETF | 60% | 0.57% | $1.13B | +5.5% | +25.4% |
| PGRO Putnam Focused Large Cap Growth ETF | 59% | 0.56% | $212.1M | +3.1% | +24.6% |
| NUGO Nuveen Growth Opportunities ETF | 58% | 0.56% | $2.44B | +4.6% | +25.6% |
| TGRW T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF | 57% | 0.52% | $1.03B | -0.6% | +21.4% |
| MGK Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF | 56% | 0.07% | $33.30B | +2.5% | +23.2% |
Questions investors ask
Does HFGO pay dividends?
No. No distributions have been recorded for Hartford Large Cap Growth ETF. That fits its goal, which is capital appreciation rather than income. Many of its largest holdings, such as NVIDIA, Alphabet and Amazon, are growth companies that tend to put their profits back into the business instead of paying large dividends. Any return from HFGO comes from changes in its share price, so investors who need cash would have to cash out shares to get it.
Is HFGO an index fund?
No. HFGO is actively managed. Wellington Management, the sub-adviser for The Hartford, picks stocks using fundamental research instead of copying an index. It must keep at least 80% of net assets in large companies, defined by the size range of the Russell 1000 and S&P 500. It is also non-diversified, so it can hold big positions. NVIDIA alone was 16.1% of assets as of July 31, 2026. Turnover was 68%, which is far more trading than a typical index fund does.
What's the difference between HFGO and PJFG?
Both are actively managed, concentrated large-growth ETFs, and they shared 64% of their holdings in their latest reports. HFGO costs less: 0.59% a year versus 0.75% for PGIM Jennison Focused Growth ETF (PJFG). As of October 27, 2026, PJFG returned 3.6% over one year against HFGO's 2.5%. Over three years, HFGO returned 27% a year against PJFG's 25.2%. HFGO had about $200.9 million in net assets (July 31, 2026) versus about $140.3 million for PJFG (August 31, 2026).
What are HFGO's top holdings?
As of July 31, 2026, HFGO's largest holdings were NVIDIA (16.1%), Alphabet (10.5%), Broadcom (6.1%), Apple (5.7%), Microsoft (5.3%), Amazon (5.0%), Eli Lilly (4.2%) and Meta Platforms (3.1%). Sandisk and Arista Networks completed the top 10, each about 2.7%. The top 10 together made up 61.4% of the fund, which held 48 stocks in all. About 86.6% of assets were in US companies. The rest included firms such as ASML, Seagate and Spotify.
How much did HFGO lose in 2022?
HFGO lost 36.59% in calendar year 2022, according to its prospectus. Within that year, its fall was steeper. From January 3 to June 16, 2022, it dropped 41.2%, and its worst quarter was a 29.48% loss in the three months ending June 30, 2022. Measured from its November 2021 high, the drop reached 44.6%. The fund did not regain that high until May 29, 2024. It then gained 42.29% in 2023 and 40.86% in 2024.