At a glance
ROPE charges 0.81% a year. It has $23.5M in assets; it paid 0.75% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Its ten largest positions make up 49.5% of the fund, out of 50 in all.
The short version
Coastal Compass 100 ETF (ROPE) is an actively managed fund that holds about 25 to 50 dividend-paying stocks chosen from the 100 largest US companies. Unlike typical dividend funds, it uses a trend-following rule that can move up to 100% of assets into cash or Treasuries when the US stock market falls, to try to limit losses. The trade-offs: a 0.81% expense ratio, or annual fee, and a record dating only to December 2024.
Price history
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ROPE — 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROPE official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +10.77% | — | — | — | — |
| ROPE price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +4.0% | — | — | — | — | — |
- The deepest fall in its price history was 5.9% (Jul 28, 2026 to Oct 1, 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 50 securities; the ten largest made up 49.45% of assets, and 3.77% sat in cash and money-market holdings.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Amgen Inc | 5.84% | |
| Mondelez International Inc | 5.19% | |
| US Bancorp | 5.03% | |
| AbbVie Inc | 5.01% | |
| Philip Morris International Inc | 4.97% | |
| Procter & Gamble Co | 4.82% | |
| United Parcel Service Inc | 4.74% | |
| Simon Property Group Inc Real estate | 4.72% | |
| Altria Group Inc | 4.63% | |
| Southern Co | 4.50% | |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc | 1.43% | |
| Merck & Co Inc | 1.37% | |
| Booking Holdings Inc | 1.34% | |
| 3M Co | 1.31% | |
| Deere & Co | 1.31% |
By country
United States 95.09%Ireland 1.02%By asset type
Stocks 91.39%Real estate 4.72%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 95.1% 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 Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $14.9M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +1.92%, +1.17%, +0.40%.
How it works
ROPE is actively managed and does not track an index. ETF Architect offers the fund; sub-adviser Coastal Equity Management picks the stocks. From the 100 largest US stocks by market value, it seeks dividend payers with attractive yields, strong balance sheets, reasonable valuations and positive absolute momentum (a price that compares well with the stock's own past prices). It picks about 25 to 50.
Weighting has two tiers. The 10 to 20 highest-yielding picks get about 40% of assets, split roughly equally; the rest share the remainder equally, with normally 5% or less in cash. As of August 31, 2026, the ten largest of its 50 holdings, led by Amgen (5.84%), Mondelez (5.19%) and US Bancorp (5.03%), made up 49% of assets, while holdings such as Thermo Fisher and Merck were about 1.4% each. The manager may drop a stock if its dividend commitment weakens or its momentum slows.
Its key feature is a trend-following exit. A proprietary model compares the overall US market's price with its moving averages (average prices over past periods). As the market falls to preset stop levels, the fund shifts up to 100% of assets into cash, money market funds or Treasuries, and may stay there for long periods. It returns to stocks gradually, at preset intervals, until it is about 95% to 100% invested.
What it really costs
- ROPE charges 0.81% a year.
- Of that, 0.8% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $83 in the first year and $1,002 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROPE | $83 | $259 | $450 | $1,002 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its tilt toward dividend-paying staples, health care and financial stocks, plus rules that can move it entirely to cash, could make it behave differently from a fully invested stock index fund.
ROPE could add large US dividend payers, heavy in consumer staples, financials and health care, with a rule meant to move to cash in falling markets. Launched in December 2024, it has no record in the 2008, 2020 or 2022 declines. It returned 10.77% in the year to December 31, 2025; its weakest quarter still gained 2.07%. In price history starting June 9, 2026, its deepest drop was 5.9%, from July 28 to October 1, 2026, still unrecovered as of October 27, 2026.
Someone who may need to draw money in a slump would rely on rules with a short live record that could also miss rebounds while in cash. Income is modest: a 12-month yield of 0.75% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, against annual fund expenses of 0.81%. Past results don't predict the future; a plan needs to consider the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want large dividend payers such as Amgen, AbbVie and Procter & Gamble, plus a rule that can shift fully to cash in downturns.
- Holders of tech-heavy index funds seeking a counterweight: technology was just 7.5% of ROPE as of August 31, 2026.
- People who would rather try to sidestep deep market drops than stay fully invested, and accept possibly missing rebounds while in cash.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-conscious investors: 0.81% a year adds up to $1,002 on $10,000 over 10 years in the SEC's standard example, plus trading costs from 86% turnover.
- Income seekers: despite the dividend focus, the 12-month yield was 0.75% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Anyone wanting a long record or a large fund: ROPE launched in December 2024 and had $23.5 million in assets 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 ROPE ETF invest in?
ROPE invests mainly in 25 to 50 dividend-paying stocks chosen from the 100 largest US companies, though it can move up to 100% into cash or Treasuries when the market falls. It is actively managed, not an index fund. As of August 31, 2026, it held 50 companies, led by Amgen (5.84%), Mondelez (5.19%), US Bancorp (5.03%), AbbVie (5.01%) and Philip Morris (4.97%). Consumer staples (22%), financials (19.5%) and health care (19.2%) were the largest sectors.
Does ROPE pay monthly dividends?
No. ROPE pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.23 per share, a 0.75% yield. That is modest for a fund built around dividend payers such as Altria, Philip Morris and Southern Co., and slightly below its 0.81% expense ratio, the annual fee taken from fund assets. The prospectus also warns that holdings may cut or stop dividends, which would lower the fund's yield.
How does ROPE protect against stock market crashes?
ROPE tries to limit losses by stepping out of stocks as the US market falls. A proprietary model compares market prices with moving averages (average prices over past periods). As the market drops to preset stop levels, the fund shifts up to 100% of assets into cash, money market funds or Treasuries, then returns to stocks gradually. There is no guarantee: it can still lose money, may miss rebounds while in cash, and has no record in the 2008, 2020 or 2022 declines, having launched in December 2024.
Is ROPE a good ETF for retirement?
It may suit retirees who want large dividend stocks with a rule to retreat to cash, but it has clear drawbacks. It launched in December 2024, so its downside rules are lightly tested. It is non-diversified, meaning it can concentrate in fewer companies, and its top ten holdings made up 49% of assets as of August 31, 2026. Its 0.81% expense ratio is higher than many index funds charge, and its 12-month yield was 0.75% as of October 27, 2026.
What is ROPE's expense ratio?
ROPE's expense ratio is 0.81% a year, almost all of it a 0.80% management fee, according to the prospectus filed March 24, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, which assumes $10,000 invested and a 5% yearly return, costs would total about $83 over one year, $259 over three, $450 over five and $1,002 over ten. Trading costs are not in the expense ratio; the prospectus reports 86% portfolio turnover, a high level of trading.