At a glance
SIXA charges 0.46% a year, above the 0.24% average of the 8 funds most like it (the most expensive of 9). It has $545.2M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 1.92% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +18.8% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 7th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +23.8% a year. At its worst it fell 18.3% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 14 months after the low. Its ten largest positions make up 35.8% of the fund, out of 47 in all.
The short version
ETC 6 Meridian Mega Cap Equity ETF (SIXA) is an actively managed fund. It uses a rules-based factor model to pick stocks from the largest 10% of the Russell 3000 Index. The model favors low-risk, profitable, dividend-paying shares, so its biggest positions as of August 31, 2026 were Altria, AT&T and Verizon. Its 0.46% expense ratio is higher than all eight similar funds compared, which average 0.24%.
Price history
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SIXA +18.8% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXA official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +15.63% | — | +13.18% | — | +15.04% |
| SIXA price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +17.7% | +18.8% | +23.8% | +13.0% | — | +14.2% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, SIXA returned +18.8%, 7th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +13.0%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-5.7%); its best was 2024 (+22.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 18.3% (Jan 12, 2022 to Sep 30, 2022), recovered by Dec 1, 2023.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +17.7% | — |
| 2025 | +15.5% | +15.63% |
| 2024 | +22.7% | +22.50% |
| 2023 | +12.0% | +11.92% |
| 2022 | -5.7% | -5.61% |
| 2021 | — | +24.11% |
| 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 16.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 18.3%, back to its old high 14 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.7800 | |
| 2025 | $1.1500 | +59.7% |
| 2024 | $0.7200 | -7.7% |
| 2023 | $0.7800 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $0.7600 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 47 securities; the ten largest made up 35.79% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Altria Group, Inc. | 5.15% | |
| AT&T INC. | 4.29% | |
| VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. | 4.12% | |
| PEPSICO, INC. | 3.88% | |
| Philip Morris International Inc. | 3.78% | |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. | 2.99% | |
| QUALCOMM INCORPORATED | 2.97% | |
| PFIZER INC. | 2.92% | |
| COMCAST CORPORATION | 2.86% | |
| CONOCOPHILLIPS | 2.83% | |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 2.67% | |
| LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION | 2.64% | |
| BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY | 2.63% | |
| AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION | 2.60% | |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY | 2.59% |
By country
United States 99.42%By asset type
Stocks 99.42%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 92.6% 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 $36.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +3.06%, +0.55%, +0.87%.
How it works
SIXA does not track an index. Exchange Traded Concepts runs the fund, and its sub-adviser, Madison Avenue Financial Solutions, chooses the stocks. Under normal conditions, at least 80% of assets go into "mega cap" stocks. The prospectus defines these as the largest 10% of companies in the Russell 3000 Index by market value. Holdings are mainly common stocks.
Stock selection follows a computer model in steps. First, companies get a combined score for profitability, growth and ability to pay their debts. The lowest scorers are removed. Stocks with weak momentum (poor price gains over the past 12 months) are removed too. The rest are ranked separately on beta, momentum, yield, value and quality, which is measured as gross profitability. Beta measures how much a stock moves with the market, and lower beta ranks better. The top-ranked stocks on each factor make the portfolio. A stock that ranks highly on more factors gets a larger weight, so company size does not set the weights.
The fund trades a lot. Its portfolio turnover was 181%, meaning it bought and sold more than the value of its whole portfolio in a year. Trading costs like these are not included in the expense ratio. The fund uses no leverage, options or derivatives. As of August 31, 2026, it held 47 stocks (99.42% of assets) and 0.57% cash. Consumer staples made up 26.8%, technology 18.2% and health care 13.7%.
What it really costs
- SIXA charges 0.46% a year, versus an average of 0.24% for the similar funds below (9th of 9, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.31% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $47 in the first year and $579 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXA | $47 | $148 | $258 | $579 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its model favors low-beta stocks and leans heavily on consumer staples, telecom and health care, which has made its swings smaller than the overall market's.
SIXA could serve as a steadier stock holding. As of October 27, 2026, its one-year beta was 0.39, meaning it moved well under half as much as the market, and its volatility was 9.3%. It still fell, though. In the 2022 bear market it dropped 18.3% from January 12 to September 30, 2022. It did not regain its old high until December 1, 2023, 14 months after the low. Its worst calendar year was 2022, with a 5.61% loss. The fund launched in May 2020, so it has no record for 2008 or the 2020 COVID crash. A retiree who had to sell shares during a drop like 2022's would have locked in losses.
The fund pays income monthly, and its trailing yield was 1.92% as of October 27, 2026. Its 0.46% expense ratio is nearly double the 0.24% average of similar funds. 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 large US stocks with a low-risk tilt. Its one-year beta was 0.39 as of October 27, 2026.
- People who like monthly income from stocks. The trailing yield was 1.92% as of October 27, 2026.
- Investors comfortable with a factor-driven active fund of 47 stocks, heavy in consumer staples, telecom and tobacco names like Altria and Philip Morris.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: SIXA charges 0.46% a year, versus 0.06% for SCHD and 0.08% for HDV and DGRO.
- Investors who want holdings weighted by company size. Despite the "mega cap" name, its top three positions are Altria, AT&T and Verizon.
- Investors who dislike heavy trading. Turnover of 181% adds costs outside the expense ratio, and low-beta stocks tend to lag in fast-rising markets.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXA this fund | — | 0.46% | $545.2M | +18.8% | +23.8% |
| DURA VanEck Durable High Dividend ETF | 34% | 0.3% | $37.2M | +23.2% | +15.9% |
| DLN WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Fund | 34% | 0.28% | $6.14B | +16.0% | +21.9% |
| HDV iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 32% | 0.08% | $14.90B | +38.0% | +21.7% |
| FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders In… | 30% | 0.45% | $7.29B | +26.1% | +23.9% |
| SCHD Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF | 28% | 0.06% | $112.34B | +38.9% | +19.9% |
| DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 27% | 0.08% | $42.77B | +21.8% | +20.6% |
| DHS WisdomTree US High Dividend Fund | 27% | 0.38% | $1.50B | +20.5% | +21.1% |
Questions investors ask
What is SIXA's expense ratio?
SIXA's expense ratio is 0.46% a year, according to its prospectus filed March 27, 2026. That includes a 0.31% management fee. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 earning 5% a year would pay about $47 in costs after one year, $148 after three, $258 after five and $579 after ten. That is the highest cost among nine similar funds compared, whose other members average 0.24%.
Does SIXA pay monthly dividends?
Yes. SIXA pays distributions monthly. As of October 27, 2026, it paid $1.11 per share over the past 12 months, a trailing yield of 1.92%. That income comes from the dividends of its holdings, such as Altria, AT&T, Verizon and PepsiCo. The prospectus warns that companies are not required to keep paying dividends and can cut or stop them, so the fund's payouts can change.
Why does SIXA own Altria and AT&T if it's a mega cap fund?
Because it does not weight stocks by size. It picks from the largest 10% of the Russell 3000 Index, then favors low beta, momentum, yield, value and quality. Stocks that score well on more of those factors get bigger weights. As of August 31, 2026, its top holdings were Altria (5.2%), AT&T (4.3%), Verizon (4.1%), PepsiCo (3.9%) and Philip Morris (3.8%). Consumer staples made up 26.8% of the fund.
SIXA vs DLN: what's the difference?
Both funds hold large US dividend-paying companies, but only about 34% of their holdings overlap. WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Fund (DLN) charges 0.28%, compared with 0.46% for SIXA. DLN is also much bigger, with about $6.1 billion in assets versus about $545 million for SIXA. As of October 27, 2026, SIXA returned 18.8% over one year, versus 16.0% for DLN. Over three years, SIXA returned 23.8% a year, versus 21.9% for DLN.
How did SIXA do in the 2022 bear market?
SIXA fell 18.3% from January 12 to September 30, 2022, its deepest drop in the price history, which starts in February 2021. It took until December 1, 2023, 14 months after the low, to reach a new high. For the full 2022 calendar year, the prospectus shows a 5.61% loss. That was its only losing year from 2021 through 2025. The fund launched in May 2020, so it has no record for 2008.