At a glance
ROAM charges 0.44% a year, above the 0.28% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 8th cheapest of 9). It has $106.2M in assets, the 9th largest of that group; it paid 2.45% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned +21.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 2nd of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +23.9% a year. At its worst it fell 35.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 25.9% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 8 months and 15 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 13.7% of the fund, out of 329 in all.
The short version
Hartford Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF (ROAM) tracks the Hartford Multifactor Emerging Markets Equity Index, a rules-based mix of 250 to 350 emerging-market stocks tilted toward value, momentum and quality. The index aims to be up to 15% less volatile than an index weighted by company size over a full market cycle. At 0.44%, it costs more than the 0.28% peer average, and with about $106 million in assets (July 31, 2026) it is the smallest in its group.
Price history
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ROAM +21.0% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROAM official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +7.16% | — | +4.31% | — | +2.65% |
| ROAM price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +18.9% | +21.0% | +23.9% | +11.4% | +8.4% | +6.1% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, ROAM returned +21.0%, 2nd of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +11.4% and its 10-year +8.4%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 35.1% and regained its old high 8.1 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-14.8%); its best was 2025 (+32.0%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 45.5% (Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Jun 1, 2021.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +18.9% | — |
| 2025 | +32.0% | — |
| 2024 | +6.2% | +7.16% |
| 2023 | +21.3% | +20.70% |
| 2022 | -14.8% | -14.71% |
| 2021 | +9.3% | +9.50% |
| 2020 | +2.2% | +2.23% |
| 2019 | +8.9% | +8.67% |
| 2018 | -12.2% | -11.59% |
| 2017 | +27.7% | +28.20% |
| 2016 | +9.9% | +8.23% |
| 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 35.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 35.1%, back to its old high 8.1 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 23.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 25.9%, back to its old high 14.9 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.3300 | |
| 2025 | $0.9200 | -3.2% |
| 2024 | $0.9500 | -21.5% |
| 2023 | $1.2100 | +18.6% |
| 2022 | $1.0200 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | $1.0100 | +44.3% |
| 2020 | $0.7000 | -14.6% |
| 2019 | $0.8200 | +46.4% |
| 2018 | $0.5600 | +16.7% |
| 2017 | $0.4800 | +23.1% |
| 2016 | $0.3900 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 329 securities; the ten largest made up 13.71% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd | 2.31% | |
| United Microelectronics Corp | 1.70% | |
| SK hynix Inc | 1.56% | |
| ASPEED Technology Inc | 1.40% | |
| MediaTek Inc | 1.35% | |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 1.16% | |
| Elite Material Co Ltd | 1.11% | |
| MPI Corp | 1.08% | |
| Chroma ATE Inc | 1.04% | |
| International Container Terminal Services Inc | 1.02% | |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 1.01% | |
| Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd | 1.00% | |
| ASE Technology Holding Co Ltd | 0.99% | |
| Samsung SDS Co Ltd | 0.99% | |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co | 0.91% |
By country
Taiwan 21.5%India 12.8%South Korea 12.12%China 10.82%Cayman Islands 6.54%By asset type
Stocks 97.69%Preferred stock 1.76%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $1.9M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +10.34%, -3.07%, -3.90%.
How it works
ROAM is passively managed. It tries to match its index, not beat it, and it does not move into cash when markets fall. Lattice designs the index and Solactive AG calculates it. The index starts with stocks from emerging markets, which are countries with growing economies and markets that are not yet classed as developed. To qualify, a company must fall within the top 85% of its country's stock market by value and trade at least $1 million a day on average.
An optimization program then picks and weights the stocks. It looks for good scores on three "factors": value (shares that are cheap compared with the company's fundamentals), momentum (shares that have been rising) and quality (financially sound companies). It also limits how far country, sector and company-size weights can drift, and it aims for lower volatility, meaning smaller price swings. The index is rebuilt twice a year, in March and September.
The result looks quite different from a standard emerging-markets fund. As of July 31, 2026, ROAM held 329 stocks, and the 10 largest made up only 13.7% of assets. Samsung Electro-Mechanics led at 2.3%, followed by United Microelectronics, SK hynix, ASPEED Technology and MediaTek. Taiwan Semiconductor was about 1%. The largest country weights were Taiwan (21.5%), India (12.8%), South Korea (12.1%) and China (10.8%). The fund keeps at least 80% of its assets in index stocks or their depositary receipts, which are certificates that trade in place of the local shares.
What it really costs
- ROAM charges 0.44% a year, versus an average of 0.28% for the similar funds below (8th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROAM | $45 | $141 | $246 | $555 |
In a retirement portfolio
It adds emerging-market stocks with a factor tilt, but it has had deep drops, costs more than most peers and is a small fund.
ROAM could add emerging-market stocks to a portfolio that mostly holds US shares, with a tilt toward cheaper, higher-quality companies. The ride has still been rough. ROAM fell 35.1% in the 2020 COVID crash and took about 8 months to recover. In 2022 it fell 25.9% and needed nearly 15 months to get back. Its deepest drop was 45.5%, from January 2018 to March 2020. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -14.71%. Anyone forced to sell during a slump like these could lock in large losses.
ROAM yielded 2.45% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. It pays only twice a year, so the income arrives unevenly. Under the SEC's standard example, costs on $10,000 come to $45 in the first year and $555 over ten years. 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 emerging-market stocks tilted toward value, momentum and quality, spread across 329 holdings with no single stock above about 2.3%.
- Those comfortable with heavy exposure to Asian technology: Taiwan and South Korea dominate, and chip firms like SK hynix and MediaTek are among the top holdings.
- Long-term holders who could sit through drops like the 45.5% fall from 2018 to 2020 without needing to sell.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.44% fee is well above IEMG at 0.09% or SPEM at 0.07%.
- Those who prefer a large fund: at about $106 million in assets, ROAM is the smallest of nine similar funds.
- People who want steady income: the 2.45% yield is paid only twice a year, and the amounts can vary.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROAM this fund | — | 0.44% | $106.2M | +21.0% | +23.9% |
| EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 33% | 0.72% | $31.21B | +12.7% | +20.3% |
| IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 30% | 0.09% | $160.90B | +11.7% | +19.8% |
| SCHE Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF | 29% | 0.11% | $13.00B | +4.4% | +16.7% |
| FNDE Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity … | 29% | 0.39% | $10.31B | +15.0% | +22.8% |
| EMXC iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF | 29% | 0.25% | $24.92B | +27.3% | +24.6% |
| AVEM Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF | 29% | 0.33% | $28.05B | +14.1% | +21.5% |
| ESGE iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF | 28% | 0.26% | $6.91B | +15.2% | +23.2% |
Questions investors ask
Is ROAM good for retirement?
ROAM may fit a retirement portfolio as a smaller, higher-risk holding rather than a core one. It spreads money across 329 emerging-market stocks and yielded 2.45% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. But it fell 35.1% in early 2020 and 25.9% in 2022, and its deepest drop was 45.5%. A retiree who might need to sell during a slump would be exposed to drops like these. Past results don't predict future ones.
What's the difference between ROAM and EEM?
Both hold emerging-market stocks, but they pick them differently. EEM, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, tracks an MSCI index. ROAM picks stocks using value, momentum and quality scores and aims for lower volatility. About 33% of their holdings overlap. ROAM is cheaper, at 0.44% versus 0.72%, but much smaller: about $106 million against roughly $31 billion for EEM. Over one year through late October 2026, ROAM returned 21% and EEM 12.3%.
Does ROAM pay dividends?
Yes. ROAM pays dividends twice a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.84 per share, a yield of 2.45%. The money comes from dividends paid by the stocks it holds, so the amount can change from one payment to the next. With only two payments a year, the income arrives in lumps rather than as a steady monthly check.
What is ROAM's expense ratio?
ROAM's expense ratio is 0.44%, according to its prospectus filed November 26, 2025. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested, a 5% yearly return and shares sold at the end of each period. On that basis, total costs come to about $45 after one year, $141 after three, $246 after five and $555 after ten. That ranks ROAM 8th of 9 among similar funds, whose average is 0.28%. IEMG charges 0.09%.
What are ROAM's historical returns?
Through December 31, 2024, ROAM's official average annual returns were 7.16% for one year, 4.31% for five years and 2.65% since its 2015 launch. Later results were stronger. Its price-based return was 32.05% in 2025. As of October 27, 2026, it had returned 21% over one year and 8.4% a year over ten years. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -14.71%. Past returns don't predict future ones.