At a glance
JAVA charges 0.44% a year, above the 0.17% average of the 8 funds most like it (the most expensive of 9). It has $6.69B in assets, the 3rd largest of that group; it paid 1.15% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +19.8% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 7th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +21.2% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 24.5% of the fund, out of 159 in all.
The short version
JPMorgan Active Value ETF (JAVA) is an actively managed fund. Instead of tracking an index, JPMorgan's managers pick large and mid-sized value stocks, mostly US companies (159 holdings as of June 30, 2026). Its 0.44% expense ratio is well above the 0.17% average of similar funds. Through late October 2026, its returns trailed lower-cost index funds such as the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF over one and three years.
Price history
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JAVA +19.8% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAVA official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +15.04% | — | — | — | +10.80% |
| JAVA price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +16.6% | +19.8% | +21.2% | — | — | +12.2% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, JAVA returned +19.8%, 7th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2023 (+10.5%); its best was 2024 (+15.5%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 16.5% (Nov 29, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Aug 22, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +16.6% | — |
| 2025 | +14.9% | +15.04% |
| 2024 | +15.5% | +15.51% |
| 2023 | +10.5% | +10.33% |
| 2022 | — | -0.78% |
| 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 | Not in the price data, which starts Feb 24, 2022 |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.6500 | |
| 2025 | $0.9700 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $0.9200 | 0.0% |
| 2023 | $0.9200 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 159 securities; the ten largest made up 24.5% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com, Inc. | 6.04% | |
| Microsoft Corp. | 3.19% | |
| Apple, Inc. | 2.60% | |
| Wells Fargo & Co. | 2.59% | |
| Bank of America Corp. | 2.23% | |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | 1.86% | |
| AbbVie, Inc. | 1.64% | |
| UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | 1.48% | |
| Walt Disney Co. (The) | 1.45% | |
| Charles Schwab Corp. (The) | 1.42% | |
| Citigroup, Inc. | 1.41% | |
| Capital One Financial Corp. | 1.37% | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 1.36% | |
| Western Digital Corp. | 1.34% | |
| American Express Co. | 1.28% |
By country
United States 92.65%Ireland 2.11%Netherlands 1.73%United Kingdom 1%Bermuda 0.69%By asset type
Stocks 99.18%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 80.5% 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 Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $69.8M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +6.36%, +1.57%, +2.85%.
How it works
JAVA does not follow an index. Its goal is long-term growth. Under normal conditions it puts at least 80% of its assets in "value" companies. These are stocks the adviser believes are cheap compared with the company's sales, earnings, assets or invested capital. Most holdings are about the size of companies in the Russell 1000 Value Index, which ranged from $1.76 billion to $4.81 trillion in market value as of September 30, 2026. The adviser looks for stocks priced below their "intrinsic value," meaning its own estimate of what a company is really worth.
Stocks are chosen one company at a time, using numeric screens and in-house research. The portfolio managers each run another JPMorgan strategy (U.S. Value and Large Cap Value) and draw on both, though JAVA's holdings differ from each. The adviser weighs environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues but does not automatically exclude companies because of them. As of June 30, 2026, the largest positions were Amazon (6.0%), Microsoft (3.2%) and Apple (2.6%), and the top 10 made up 24.5% of the fund.
Trading is frequent. Turnover was 124%, so the fund replaced more than its whole portfolio in a year. That can raise trading costs and short-term gains, which are taxed as ordinary income. The fund may use futures to invest idle cash but held no derivatives as of June 30, 2026. It can also own foreign shares through depositary receipts. About 92.7% of assets were in US companies.
What it really costs
- JAVA charges 0.44% a year, versus an average of 0.17% for the similar funds below (9th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $45 in the first year and $555 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAVA | $45 | $141 | $246 | $555 |
In a retirement portfolio
A broad mix of about 159 large and mid-sized US companies could anchor the value part of a stock allocation, though it is only one slice of the market.
JAVA launched in October 2021, so it has no record from 2008 or 2020. Its only losing calendar year was 2022, at -0.78%. Its worst quarter, ending June 30, 2022, fell 10.93%. Its deepest drop in the price data was 16.5%, from November 29, 2024 to April 8, 2025, and it recovered by August 22, 2025, about 4.5 months later. A retiree who needed cash during that stretch would have had to cash out shares at lower prices. Income is modest: the yield was 1.15% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. In the SEC's standard example, a $10,000 investment costs $45 over one year and $555 over ten. That is more than most similar funds. Past results don't predict future ones, 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 a manager picking value stocks, including large names like Amazon and Microsoft, rather than following a fixed index rule.
- People wanting a steadier stock fund. Its one-year beta was 0.68 as of October 27, 2026, meaning it moved less than the overall market.
- Holders using IRAs or 401(k)s, where the fund's 124% turnover and possible short-term gains create no yearly tax bill.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors. At 0.44%, JAVA is the priciest of nine similar funds. Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) and iShares Morningstar Value ETF (ILCV) charge 0.04%.
- Income seekers. The yield was 1.15% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, which leaves little cash for living expenses.
- Investors who want index-like results. JAVA's one-year return of 19.8% trailed the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF's 29.3% through late October 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAVA this fund | — | 0.44% | $6.69B | +19.8% | +21.2% |
| IWX iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF | 48% | 0.2% | $3.56B | +28.4% | +24.5% |
| LCDS JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Large Cor… | 46% | 0.3% | $16.0M | +14.1% | — |
| IWD iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | 44% | 0.19% | $79.74B | +28.8% | +22.2% |
| ILCV iShares Morningstar Value ETF | 43% | 0.04% | $1.32B | +20.5% | +23.4% |
| GVUS Marketbeta Russell 1000 Value Equity ETF | 43% | 0.12% | $416.9M | +26.6% | — |
| TVAL T. Rowe Price Value ETF | 42% | 0.33% | $943.9M | +26.9% | +23.6% |
| VTV Vanguard Value ETF | 39% | 0.04% | $254.48B | +25.4% | +22.3% |
Questions investors ask
Is JAVA good for retirement?
It can serve as the value slice of a retirement stock allocation, with trade-offs. It holds about 159 large and mid-sized companies, and its one-year beta was 0.68 as of October 27, 2026, so it moved less than the market. Its only losing calendar year was 2022, at -0.78%. Drawbacks include a 0.44% expense ratio, a modest 1.15% yield and returns that trailed index-based value funds over one and three years.
What's the difference between JAVA and IWX?
JAVA is actively managed, and IWX (iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF) follows an index of the largest value stocks. The two funds share 48% of their holdings. IWX costs 0.20% a year, compared with JAVA's 0.44%. As of October 27, 2026, IWX returned 28.4% over one year and 24.5% a year over three years. JAVA returned 19.8% and 21.2% over the same periods. JAVA also holds more mid-sized companies.
Does JAVA pay dividends?
Yes, JAVA pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.95 per share, for a yield of 1.15%. That's a small income stream, because the fund aims for long-term growth rather than high income. Its holdings include dividend-paying banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, but also companies like Amazon that put their earnings back into the business.
Why does JAVA own Amazon and Microsoft if it's a value fund?
JAVA's managers decide for themselves what counts as value. The fund doesn't use an index's definition. The adviser buys stocks it believes trade below their intrinsic value, judged against sales, earnings, assets and invested capital. As of June 30, 2026, Amazon was the largest holding at 6.0%, followed by Microsoft at 3.2% and Apple at 2.6%. Banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America were close behind.
How has JAVA performed since launch?
JAVA returned 10.8% a year on average from its October 4, 2021 launch through December 31, 2025, according to its prospectus. By calendar year, it returned -0.78% in 2022, 10.33% in 2023, 15.51% in 2024 and 15.04% in 2025. Its best quarter gained 12.49% (ending December 31, 2022). Its worst lost 10.93% (ending June 30, 2022). Over three years to October 27, 2026, it ranked last of seven similar funds.