Dividend Investing Ideas Center
Critical Facts You Need to Know About Preferred Stocks
Have you ever wished for the safety of bonds, but the return potential...
Name
As of 12/31/2024Price
Aum/Mkt Cap
YIELD
Exp Ratio
Watchlist
YTD Return
0.0%
1 yr return
16.5%
3 Yr Avg Return
1.5%
5 Yr Avg Return
6.2%
Net Assets
$32.5 M
Holdings in Top 10
49.5%
Expense Ratio 2.44%
Front Load N/A
Deferred Load 1.00%
Turnover 239.00%
Redemption Fee N/A
Standard (Taxable)
$1,000
IRA
N/A
Fund Type
Open End Mutual Fund
Name
As of 12/31/2024Price
Aum/Mkt Cap
YIELD
Exp Ratio
Watchlist
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in common stock of dividend paying companies included within the S&P 500 Index. The Fund may also invest in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities. The Fund seeks to hedge the majority of its stock exposure by investing up to 20% of its assets in futures contracts on the Cboe Volatility Index (the “VIX Index”) (“VIX Futures”) or other similar volatility-related futures and options contracts, and in cash and cash equivalents, including U.S. Treasury obligations, as a hedge against the common stock held in the Fund’s portfolio.
Equity Armor Investments, LLC, the investment sub-advisor of the Fund (“the “Sub-Advisor”), uses a rules-based quantitative strategy to create a portfolio primarily composed of common stock of dividend paying companies (including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”)) that it believes offer the best return potential and low volatility under the current economic environment. Stocks are selected based on a proprietary model comprised of the following factors: (i) domestic factors such as unemployment rate, corporate cash flow, housing starts, auto sales, and new durable goods; (ii) monetary factors; (iii) interest rates; (iv) various index levels including gold index, energy prices, consumer price index; and (v) international factors such as euro exchange rates, FTSE 100, Tokyo stock exchange, and agricultural exports. The goal of the strategy is to select those companies with prices that (i) are primarily driven by the economy rather than company-specific information; (ii) are neutral or suitable in the current economy; (iii) do not exhibit excessive reaction to economic changes; and (iv) have decreased in value in lesser amounts historically than the S&P 500 Index during periods of declines in the S&P 500 Index. The Fund may gain exposure to these companies through investment in ETFs if such exposure can be gained more efficiently by investing in ETFs instead of a basket of stocks. The Fund’s sector allocation typically will not exceed approximately three times the sector’s weight in the S&P 500 Index, and the Fund’s allocation to any sector shall not exceed approximately 50% of the Fund’s assets at the time of investing. The Fund’s sector allocation is assessed and rebalanced as needed. The Fund’s sector allocation process does not focus on any particular sectors.
The Fund invests in volatility futures contracts utilizing a proprietary strategy that seeks to correlate to Equity Armor Investments VOL365 Index (“EAVOL”), known as the “the EAVOL Trading Strategy.” The EAVOL trading strategy is constructed pursuant to a rules-based volatility analysis that identifies investments that present the least potential for time decay (i.e., the decline in the value of a contract over
the passage of time), while maintaining the highest correlation to near-term volatility futures price movement each day. The Fund primarily invests in VIX Futures or other similar volatility-related products and seeks to achieve high correlation to the return of the EAVOL Trading Strategy for this component of the Fund’s portfolio. Historically, volatility futures contracts tend to negatively correlate to equity price movement. Therefore, the EAVOL Trading Strategy may appreciate during times of downward equity prices or when implied volatility expectations of equities rise. Likewise, when equity prices appreciate or implied volatility expectations decline, the EAVOL Trading Strategy is likely to decline in value. Volatility analysis includes the study of price, momentum, future curves, as well as recurring price patterns. The components of the EAVOL Trading Strategy are adjusted daily. The Fund adjusts the weighting of the EAVOL Trading Strategy relative to its equity position daily as well.
The Sub-Advisor may also choose to trade securities related to the VIX Index, such as S&P 500 Index futures, options on S&P 500 Index futures, options on the S&P 500 Index and VIX Index options, as well as options on other equity indexes in order to achieve the volatility overlay to the Fund’s equity exposure, if the Sub-Advisor determines that these securities provide greater access to volatility and, at such time, the total EAVOL Trading Strategy. The use of such S&P 500 Index futures and options thereon will typically be used in adverse market conditions where the VIX Index is above 30, which is roughly two times its historical average price.
The Fund’s volatility hedging strategy aims to minimize possible losses that are common in stock indexes so that investors might be able to ride-out market swings in pursuit of their long-term investment objectives. However, the volatility overlay has an associated cost. Given the negative correlation between equity price movements and the EAVOL Trading Strategy described above, the strategy may result in a reduction in the Fund’s return. The Fund’s strategy has no annualized target for the level of volatility it seeks to achieve under normal circumstances. There may be times that the Sub-Advisor determines not to implement the Fund’s volatility hedging strategy.
The Fund actively trades its portfolio investments, which may lead to higher transaction costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.
Period | HDCEX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
YTD | 0.0% | -17.7% | 50.5% | 24.93% |
1 Yr | 16.5% | -17.7% | 50.5% | 31.96% |
3 Yr | 1.5%* | -5.5% | 16.9% | 95.34% |
5 Yr | 6.2%* | -1.2% | 43.9% | 90.16% |
10 Yr | N/A* | 1.2% | 24.9% | 100.00% |
* Annualized
Period | HDCEX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 15.8% | -34.9% | 46.1% | 75.54% |
2023 | 1.9% | -64.7% | 23.8% | 61.85% |
2022 | -11.6% | -44.2% | 57.5% | 44.26% |
2021 | 13.0% | -23.2% | 284.8% | 22.22% |
2020 | 14.3% | -21.4% | 285.0% | 70.33% |
Period | HDCEX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
YTD | 0.0% | -17.7% | 50.5% | 24.93% |
1 Yr | 16.5% | -17.7% | 50.5% | 31.96% |
3 Yr | 1.5%* | -5.5% | 16.9% | 95.34% |
5 Yr | 6.2%* | -1.2% | 43.9% | 90.16% |
10 Yr | N/A* | 1.2% | 24.9% | 100.00% |
* Annualized
Period | HDCEX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 15.8% | -15.1% | 46.7% | 97.47% |
2023 | 1.9% | -42.0% | 25.9% | 93.77% |
2022 | -11.5% | -20.1% | 57.5% | 67.12% |
2021 | 13.4% | -22.6% | 304.7% | 34.23% |
2020 | 14.9% | -13.6% | 304.8% | 70.64% |
HDCEX | Category Low | Category High | HDCEX % Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Net Assets | 32.5 M | 2.09 M | 163 B | 93.45% |
Number of Holdings | 42 | 2 | 1727 | 85.03% |
Net Assets in Top 10 | 17.4 M | 466 K | 39.5 B | 89.99% |
Weighting of Top 10 | 49.51% | 4.8% | 99.1% | 6.09% |
Weighting | Return Low | Return High | HDCEX % Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | 89.94% | 4.16% | 103.93% | 96.45% |
Cash | 10.00% | 0.00% | 17.28% | 1.31% |
Other | 0.06% | -2.59% | 39.89% | 19.36% |
Preferred Stocks | 0.00% | 0.00% | 13.68% | 39.57% |
Convertible Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 3.66% | 35.43% |
Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 97.99% | 38.17% |
Weighting | Return Low | Return High | HDCEX % Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Industrials | 18.77% | 0.00% | 42.76% | 3.97% |
Financial Services | 16.86% | 0.00% | 58.05% | 74.32% |
Healthcare | 12.38% | 0.00% | 30.08% | 88.67% |
Consumer Defense | 10.37% | 0.00% | 34.10% | 26.53% |
Technology | 9.71% | 0.00% | 54.02% | 57.51% |
Energy | 8.05% | 0.00% | 54.00% | 44.66% |
Real Estate | 7.32% | 0.00% | 90.54% | 5.57% |
Communication Services | 5.40% | 0.00% | 26.58% | 55.52% |
Consumer Cyclical | 4.79% | 0.00% | 22.74% | 70.25% |
Basic Materials | 3.80% | 0.00% | 20.01% | 39.75% |
Utilities | 2.55% | 0.00% | 27.04% | 74.69% |
Weighting | Return Low | Return High | HDCEX % Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | 89.94% | 4.16% | 103.93% | 90.74% |
Non US | 0.00% | 0.00% | 24.08% | 52.67% |
HDCEX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Expense Ratio | 2.44% | 0.03% | 14.82% | 2.44% |
Management Fee | 0.75% | 0.00% | 1.50% | 83.68% |
12b-1 Fee | 1.00% | 0.00% | 1.00% | 88.07% |
Administrative Fee | N/A | 0.00% | 0.50% | N/A |
HDCEX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Front Load | N/A | 1.00% | 5.75% | N/A |
Deferred Load | 1.00% | 0.95% | 5.00% | 46.03% |
HDCEX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Max Redemption Fee | N/A | 1.00% | 2.00% | N/A |
Turnover provides investors a proxy for the trading fees incurred by mutual fund managers who frequently adjust position allocations. Higher turnover means higher trading fees.
HDCEX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turnover | 239.00% | 0.00% | 488.00% | 98.25% |
HDCEX | Category Low | Category High | HDCEX % Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dividend Yield | 0.00% | 0.00% | 16.67% | 96.63% |
HDCEX | Category Low | Category High | Category Mod | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dividend Distribution Frequency | Monthly | Annual | Quarterly | Quarterly |
HDCEX | Category Low | Category High | HDCEX % Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Net Income Ratio | -0.16% | -1.51% | 4.28% | 97.61% |
HDCEX | Category Low | Category High | Capital Mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Capital Gain Distribution Frequency | Annually | Annually | Annually | Annually |
Date | Amount | Type |
---|---|---|
Nov 29, 2022 | $0.001 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 30, 2022 | $0.005 | OrdinaryDividend |
May 27, 2022 | $0.004 | OrdinaryDividend |
Mar 30, 2022 | $0.003 | OrdinaryDividend |
Feb 25, 2022 | $0.000 | OrdinaryDividend |
Nov 29, 2021 | $0.002 | OrdinaryDividend |
Oct 28, 2021 | $0.002 | OrdinaryDividend |
Sep 29, 2021 | $0.001 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 30, 2021 | $0.004 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jul 29, 2021 | $0.001 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jun 29, 2021 | $0.003 | OrdinaryDividend |
May 27, 2021 | $0.006 | OrdinaryDividend |
Apr 29, 2021 | $0.004 | OrdinaryDividend |
Mar 30, 2021 | $0.002 | OrdinaryDividend |
Feb 25, 2021 | $0.002 | OrdinaryDividend |
Dec 30, 2020 | $0.032 | OrdinaryDividend |
Nov 27, 2020 | $0.000 | OrdinaryDividend |
Oct 29, 2020 | $0.003 | OrdinaryDividend |
Sep 29, 2020 | $0.002 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 28, 2020 | $0.002 | OrdinaryDividend |
Dec 30, 2019 | $0.116 | OrdinaryDividend |
Nov 27, 2019 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Oct 30, 2019 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Sep 27, 2019 | $0.020 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 29, 2019 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jul 30, 2019 | $0.027 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jun 27, 2019 | $0.024 | OrdinaryDividend |
May 30, 2019 | $0.021 | OrdinaryDividend |
Apr 29, 2019 | $0.017 | OrdinaryDividend |
Mar 28, 2019 | $0.017 | OrdinaryDividend |
Feb 27, 2019 | $0.017 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jan 30, 2019 | $0.009 | OrdinaryDividend |
Dec 28, 2018 | $0.191 | OrdinaryDividend |
Nov 29, 2018 | $0.036 | OrdinaryDividend |
Oct 30, 2018 | $0.025 | OrdinaryDividend |
Sep 27, 2018 | $0.025 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 30, 2018 | $0.030 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jul 30, 2018 | $0.022 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jun 28, 2018 | $0.024 | OrdinaryDividend |
May 30, 2018 | $0.025 | OrdinaryDividend |
Apr 27, 2018 | $0.009 | OrdinaryDividend |
Mar 28, 2018 | $0.025 | OrdinaryDividend |
Feb 27, 2018 | $0.026 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jan 30, 2018 | $0.001 | OrdinaryDividend |
Dec 28, 2017 | $0.155 | OrdinaryDividend |
Nov 29, 2017 | $0.038 | OrdinaryDividend |
Oct 30, 2017 | $0.027 | OrdinaryDividend |
Sep 28, 2017 | $0.019 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 30, 2017 | $0.015 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jul 28, 2017 | $0.032 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jun 29, 2017 | $0.022 | OrdinaryDividend |
May 30, 2017 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Apr 27, 2017 | $0.023 | OrdinaryDividend |
Mar 30, 2017 | $0.039 | OrdinaryDividend |
Feb 27, 2017 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Dec 29, 2016 | $0.036 | OrdinaryDividend |
Dec 20, 2016 | $0.023 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
Nov 29, 2016 | $0.003 | OrdinaryDividend |
Oct 28, 2016 | $0.012 | OrdinaryDividend |
Sep 29, 2016 | $0.032 | OrdinaryDividend |
Aug 30, 2016 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jul 28, 2016 | $0.011 | OrdinaryDividend |
Jun 28, 2016 | $0.013 | OrdinaryDividend |
May 27, 2016 | $0.016 | OrdinaryDividend |
Apr 27, 2016 | $0.009 | OrdinaryDividend |
Mar 29, 2016 | $0.023 | OrdinaryDividend |
Feb 25, 2016 | $0.027 | OrdinaryDividend |
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Dec 13, 2019
2.47
2.5%
Luke Rahbari, a Member and Portfolio Manager of Equity Armor since 2011, has served as a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2019. He is also a Member of Tremis, LLC, a Cryptocurrency mining and trading operations firm, since 2017 and a Member of Equity Armor Advisers, LLC, Macro Growth Advisers, LLC, and Lone Star Equity Armor Advisors, LLC since 2016. Prior to founding Equity Armor in 2011, Mr. Rahbari served as an Asset Manager of Peachtree Asset Management (2007 to 2011), worked on the Institutional Equity Derivatives Desk of Toronto Dominion Bank (2002-2006) and was a Floor Trader, Market Maker, Specialist Registered Options of LETCO Trading (1994 to 2002). Mr. Rahbari earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Dec 13, 2019
2.47
2.5%
Joseph Tigay, Chief Trading Officer and a Portfolio Manager, will serve as the Portfolio Managers of the Fund and will be primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Dec 13, 2019
2.47
2.5%
Brian Stutland, Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Equity Armor since 2011, has served as the Fund’s Lead Portfolio Manager since 2019. He is also a Member of Tremis, LLC, a Cryptocurrency mining and trading operations firm, since 2017 and a Member of Equity Armor Advisers, LLC, Macro Growth Advisers, LLC, and Lone Star Equity Armor Advisors, LLC since 2016. Prior to founding Equity Armor in 2011, Mr. Stutland was the Managing Member and Floor Trader of Stutland Equities, LLC (2005 to 2011) .Prior to starting Stutland Equities, LLC in 2005, and while studying for his Masters degree, Brian Stutland became a trader with LETCO, one of the principal trading groups on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (“CBOE”), where he managed portfolio positions and made options markets for blue chip and Internet stocks. Mr. Stutland established his own floor trading business in 2002, trading an entire portfolio of stocks as a proprietary market making CBOE Member. After forming Stutland Equities, he pioneered the shift to electronic options trading, becoming one of the first Remote Market Makers on the CBOE. By 2006, he continued to trail blaze as one of the first traders to assume positions in VIX Volatility futures and options. He graduated Cum Laude in 1997 from the University of Michigan with a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering and later received a M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1999.
Category Low | Category High | Category Average | Category Mode |
---|---|---|---|
0.05 | 86.59 | 8.12 | 6.71 |
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