At a glance
SIXL charges 0.46% a year, above the 0.39% average of the 5 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 6). It has $188.9M in assets, the 5th largest of that group; it paid 2.1% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +11.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 4th of those 6 funds; over three years it returned +12.1% a year. At its worst it fell 15.8% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 18 months after the low. Its ten largest positions make up 5.5% of the fund, out of 240 in all.
The short version
ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity ETF (SIXL) is an actively managed fund holding about 240 US stocks. A computer model picks them for quality and low beta, meaning shares that have tended to move less than the broader market. Holdings are spread thin: the top 10 made up just 5.54% of assets as of May 31, 2026. At 0.46% a year, it costs more than most similar low-volatility funds.
Price history
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SIXL +11.0% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXL official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +1.22% | — | +5.53% | — | +8.12% |
| SIXL price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +12.2% | +11.0% | +12.1% | +5.0% | — | +5.6% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, SIXL returned +11.0%, 4th of 6 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +5.0%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-7.5%); its best was 2024 (+14.1%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 16.1% (Dec 31, 2021 to Oct 7, 2022), recovered by Mar 28, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +12.2% | — |
| 2025 | -0.7% | +1.22% |
| 2024 | +14.1% | +13.71% |
| 2023 | +2.4% | +2.39% |
| 2022 | -7.5% | -7.42% |
| 2021 | — | +19.98% |
| 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 15.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 15.8%, back to its old high 17.7 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.5900 | |
| 2025 | $0.8200 | +70.8% |
| 2024 | $0.4800 | -4.0% |
| 2023 | $0.5000 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $0.4808 |
What's inside
As of May 31, 2026, the fund held 240 securities; the ten largest made up 5.54% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Progyny Inc | 0.63% | |
| ELEVANCE HEALTH, INC. | 0.59% | |
| TG THERAPEUTICS, INC. | 0.56% | |
| DAVITA INC. | 0.56% | |
| WHITESTONE REIT | 0.55% | |
| EZCORP, INC. | 0.54% | |
| VIRTU FINANCIAL, INC. | 0.53% | |
| EXELIXIS, INC. | 0.53% | |
| UL SOLUTIONS INC. | 0.53% | |
| SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION | 0.53% | |
| JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. | 0.52% | |
| THE CHEFS' WAREHOUSE, INC. | 0.52% | |
| MURPHY USA INC. | 0.52% | |
| ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY. | 0.52% | |
| NewMarket Corporation | 0.52% |
By country
United States 99.76%By asset type
Stocks 99.76%What changed recently
- Over the three months to May 31, 2026, investors added a net $539.00 (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -2.74%, +2.83%, -4.57%.
How it works
SIXL does not track an index. Exchange Traded Concepts runs the fund, and a sub-adviser, Madison Avenue Financial Solutions, LLC, picks the stocks. At least 80% of net assets go into stocks, mainly common shares of companies of any size. The fund may also own REITs (real estate investment trusts), which are companies that own property and pass most of their income to shareholders.
Stock selection happens in two steps. First, the model ranks companies on a mix of profitability, growth and ability to pay their debts, and drops the lowest scorers. Second, it ranks the rest by beta, a measure of how much a stock has moved with the overall market. A beta below 1.0 means the stock has moved less than the market. The fund buys the lowest-beta names. The sub-adviser believes that over a full market cycle, these steadier, higher-quality stocks may deliver better returns for the risk taken.
The manager expects to trade about twice a year, though that can change. Portfolio turnover was still 61% in the prospectus, so a large share of holdings changes each year. As of May 31, 2026, the largest positions were Progyny (0.63%), Elevance Health (0.59%) and TG Therapeutics (0.56%). Nearly all assets were in US stocks, and the fund held no derivatives.
What it really costs
- SIXL charges 0.46% a year, versus an average of 0.39% for the similar funds below (4th of 6, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXL | $47 | $148 | $258 | $579 |
In a retirement portfolio
It screens for steadier, lower-beta US stocks, aiming to soften market swings rather than to chase the highest growth.
SIXL launched in May 2020, after the COVID crash, so it has no record for 2008 or 2020. In the 2022 bear market it fell 15.8% from its January 4 peak to its October 7 low. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -7.4%. Its deepest drop, 16.1%, didn't fully recover until March 28, 2024, about 17.7 months after the low. A retiree selling shares in that stretch would have locked in losses. The trailing yield was 2.1% as of October 27, 2026, paid monthly. Costs run 0.46% a year, or $579 over 10 years in the SEC's $10,000 example. One drawback: low-beta stocks tend to lag in fast-rising markets. Its three-year return of 12.1% a year, as of October 27, 2026, trailed four of five similar funds. Past results don't predict the future, 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 about 240 US stocks screened for quality and low market sensitivity, with no single holding above 1% as of May 31, 2026.
- Retirees who like monthly payouts; the trailing yield was 2.1% as of October 27, 2026.
- Those comfortable with a quantitative, actively managed approach that mixes companies of all sizes, including REITs, and rebalances about twice a year.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.46% expense ratio is more than double the 0.18% to 0.20% charged by JPUS, SMMV and ONEV.
- Investors who want to keep pace in strong rallies; low-beta stocks tend to lag, and SIXL's three-year return trailed four of five similar funds.
- Those who want an index fund with a long record; SIXL is actively managed and launched in May 2020, missing the 2008 and 2020 crashes.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXL this fund | — | 0.46% | $188.9M | +11.0% | +12.1% |
| FVD First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund | 34% | 0.6% | $8.04B | +11.1% | +14.2% |
| JPUS JPMorgan Diversified Return Use Equity | 30% | 0.18% | $457.6M | +16.3% | +19.0% |
| SMMV iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor E… | 30% | 0.2% | $289.0M | +9.7% | +15.2% |
| ONEV SPDR Russell 1000 Low Volatility Focus ETF | 27% | 0.2% | $341.9M | +13.4% | +16.5% |
| FLDZ RiverNorth Patriot ETF | 24% | 0.77% | $4.1M | -10.4% | +9.5% |
Questions investors ask
Is SIXL good for retirement?
It may suit retirees who want a steadier stock fund, but it has limits. SIXL holds about 240 low-beta, quality-screened US stocks and pays monthly. Its yield was 2.1% as of October 27, 2026. Still, it fell 15.8% in the 2022 bear market and took about 17.7 months to recover. At 0.46% a year it costs more than most similar funds, and low-beta stocks tend to lag in strong rallies.
Does SIXL pay monthly dividends?
Yes. SIXL pays distributions monthly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.84 per share, a trailing yield of 2.1%. Payouts depend on the dividends its roughly 240 stocks and REITs pay, so the amount can change from month to month. Low-beta strategies like this one aim to cut volatility rather than to maximize income.
What is SIXL's expense ratio?
SIXL's expense ratio is 0.46%, including a 0.31% management fee, according to the prospectus filed March 27, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 earning 5% a year would cost about $47 after one year, $258 after five years and $579 after 10 years. That's above the 0.39% average for its similar funds. JPUS, SMMV and ONEV each charge 0.20% or less.
SIXL vs FVD: what's the difference?
Both lean toward steadier stocks, and about 34% of their holdings overlap. FVD, the First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund, tracks an index. SIXL is actively managed by a quantitative model. FVD costs more (0.60% vs. 0.46%) and is much larger, with about $8.0 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026. As of October 27, 2026, one-year returns were similar (11.1% vs. 11%), but FVD led over three years, at 14.2% a year vs. 12.1%.
How did SIXL do in 2022?
SIXL lost 7.42% in calendar 2022, according to its prospectus. That was its worst full year since it launched in May 2020. Its worst quarter, -7.6%, ended September 30, 2022. Its strongest quarter, +10.12%, came right after and ended December 31, 2022. From its January 4 peak to its October 7 low, the fund fell 15.8%. It didn't fully recover until March 28, 2024.