At a glance
SAMT charges 0.66% a year, above the 0.28% average of the 6 funds most like it (the most expensive of 7). It has $876.7M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 0.65% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned +8.2% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the weakest of those 7 funds; over three years it returned +24.7% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 27.3% of the fund, out of 45 in all.
The short version
Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT) is an actively managed fund. It held 45 U.S. stocks as of June 30, 2026, chosen to fit three to five big economic trends picked by Strategas Asset Management. Its 0.66% expense ratio is well above the 0.28% average of funds with similar holdings. It also trades heavily, with 200% portfolio turnover, so it works more as a manager's bet on themes than a broad market fund.
Price history
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SAMT +8.2% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMT official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +33.10% | — | — | — | +12.81% |
| S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes (except foreign withholding taxes)) index, same period | — | +17.43% | — | — | — | +12.99% |
| SAMT price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +7.4% | +8.2% | +24.7% | — | — | +12.5% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, SAMT returned +8.2%, 7th of 7 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2023 (+1.3%); its best was 2025 (+33.1%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 20.6% (Mar 29, 2022 to Mar 23, 2023), recovered by Jun 18, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +7.4% | — |
| 2025 | +33.1% | +33.10% |
| 2024 | +28.2% | +27.99% |
| 2023 | +1.3% | +1.45% |
| 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
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.2700 | -34.1% |
| 2024 | $0.4100 | +20.6% |
| 2023 | $0.3400 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 45 securities; the ten largest made up 27.26% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| FUELCELL ENERGY, INC. | 3.20% | |
| THE TIMKEN COMPANY | 3.01% | |
| CORNING INCORPORATED | 2.94% | |
| MARVELL TECHNOLOGY, INC. | 2.81% | |
| ONTO INNOVATION INC. | 2.69% | |
| ABBVIE INC. | 2.60% | |
| UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED | 2.56% | |
| Ouster Inc | 2.49% | |
| SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT CO. | 2.49% | |
| KLA CORPORATION | 2.48% | |
| VISA INC. | 2.46% | |
| TARGET CORPORATION | 2.45% | |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY | 2.42% | |
| ISHARES 0-3 MONTH TREASURY B MUTUAL FUND | 2.40% | |
| ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY. | 2.32% |
By country
United States 95.92%By asset type
Stocks 95.92%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 53.4% 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 $272.4M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +3.99%, +5.86%, +10.42%.
How it works
SAMT does not track an index. Its adviser, Strategas Asset Management, picks three to five "macro-thematic" trends. These are big-picture forces outside any one company's control, such as the economy, government tax and interest-rate policy, social shifts, or global crises. Each trend gets roughly equal weight. The prospectus filed April 30, 2026 gives examples: artificial intelligence, "cash flow aristocrats" (companies that generate enough cash to fund themselves), de-globalization, and an "industrial power renaissance" tied to upgrading aging power grids.
For each theme, the adviser uses technical, fundamental, qualitative and quantitative analysis to find the company traits most linked to that trend. It then buys stocks with those traits. Companies of any size can qualify if they meet liquidity requirements. The adviser can swap themes or stocks at any time, so sector weights shift. Vident Asset Management, the sub-adviser, handles the trading.
The structure is simple: as of June 30, 2026, the fund reported no leverage, options or derivatives. It held 45 positions, and the top 10 made up 27% of assets. The largest were FuelCell Energy (3.2%), Timken (3.0%) and Corning (2.9%). About 2.4% sat in an iShares 0-3 month Treasury fund. Portfolio turnover of 200% means the fund traded about twice its average assets in a year. The prospectus warns this can raise trading costs and capital gains taxes.
What it really costs
- SAMT charges 0.66% a year, versus an average of 0.28% for the similar funds below (7th of 7, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.65% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $67 in the first year and $822 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMT | $67 | $211 | $368 | $822 |
In a retirement portfolio
SAMT is a concentrated, high-turnover, actively managed bet on a few themes, so it fits better as a small add-on than as a portfolio's foundation.
SAMT's record is short. It launched on January 26, 2022, so it missed the 2008 and 2020 crashes and the market's January 2022 peak. Its deepest drop was 20.6%, from March 29, 2022 to March 23, 2023. It took about 15 more months to recover, on June 18, 2024. Its weakest calendar year was 2023, when it gained just 1.45%. A retiree who had to sell shares in early 2023 would have locked in a loss. Income is small: the trailing yield was 0.65% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. Costs are high for a stock fund. Under the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost $67 after one year and $822 over 10 years. Past results don't predict future ones, and a retirement 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 small, actively managed stock sleeve betting on themes such as AI and power-grid upgrades, held alongside a low-cost core fund.
- Those comfortable with uneven results: SAMT returned 33.1% in 2025 but just 1.45% in 2023.
- Investors who don't need regular income from this holding, since its 0.65% yield is paid only once a year.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.66% expense ratio ranks last of seven similar funds and compares with 0.03% for SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM).
- Investors who want a long track record: SAMT launched in January 2022, so it has no history through the 2008 or 2020 crashes.
- Taxable-account investors wary of capital gains: 200% turnover means frequent trading, and the prospectus warns this can add tax bills.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMT this fund | — | 0.66% | $876.7M | +8.2% | +24.7% |
| USMC Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF | 18% | 0.12% | $3.49B | +11.3% | +24.5% |
| MODL VictoryShares WestEnd U.S. Sector ETF | 17% | 0.46% | $1.02B | +11.9% | +23.8% |
| OMFL Invesco Russell 1000 Dynamic Multifactor ETF | 16% | 0.29% | $4.80B | +17.8% | +19.3% |
| PWB Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF | 15% | 0.56% | $2.31B | +17.3% | +33.0% |
| QARP Xtrackers Russell 1000 US Quality at a Reas… | 14% | 0.19% | $78.2M | +19.4% | +21.9% |
| SPTM SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Mar… | 13% | 0.03% | $13.58B | +11.9% | +21.5% |
Questions investors ask
Is SAMT a good ETF for retirement?
SAMT may fit as a small satellite position rather than a core holding. It is an actively managed bet on three to five economic themes, charges 0.66% a year and trades its portfolio heavily. Its history starts in January 2022. Its deepest drop was 20.6%, and it didn't fully recover until June 18, 2024. Income is modest: the yield was 0.65% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year.
Has SAMT beaten the S&P 500?
Over one year, yes. Since launch, not quite. As of December 31, 2025, SAMT returned 33.1% over one year, against 17.43% for the S&P 500 Index. Since its January 2022 launch, it averaged 12.81% a year, against 12.99% for the index. Index returns don't deduct fees. Over the year to October 27, 2026, SAMT gained 8.2%, the lowest of seven similar funds compared.
What is SAMT's expense ratio?
SAMT's expense ratio is 0.66%, per its prospectus filed April 30, 2026. That includes a 0.65% management fee. It is well above the 0.28% average of similar funds and ranks last of seven. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested with a 5% yearly return. On that basis, costs would total about $67 after one year, $211 after three years, $368 after five and $822 after 10. Trading costs aren't included in that ratio.
Does SAMT pay dividends?
Yes, but only once a year, and not much. In the 12 months to October 27, 2026, SAMT paid about $0.27 per share, a trailing yield of 0.65%. The fund aims for long-term growth, not income, and picks stocks by theme rather than by dividend. Investors who need steady cash flow may find income-focused funds worth comparing, especially ones that pay quarterly or monthly.
SAMT vs USMC: what's the difference?
Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF (USMC) shares the most holdings with SAMT, but the overlap is only 18%. The two funds hold mostly different stocks. USMC is much cheaper, at 0.12% a year against SAMT's 0.66%, and much larger, with about $3.5 billion in net assets against SAMT's $877 million as of June 30, 2026. As of October 27, 2026, USMC returned 11.3% over one year to SAMT's 8.2%. Over three years, they averaged 24.5% and 24.7% a year.