AVLC vs JHDG

AVLCAAvantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

JHDGBJohn Hancock Hedged Equity ETF

In short

AVLC Active management with index-fund manners: roughly 900 U.S. large caps, with the dial turned toward cheaper, more profitable companies. Avantis charges 0.15% a year to do it.

JHDG A hand-picked large-cap core with a hedge bolted on: around 120 US stocks measured against the S&P 500, plus an actively managed options overlay aimed at softening drawdowns. 0.49% net of a waiver through July 31, 2027.

Stated mandate

AVLC The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. It invests broadly in U.S. large-capitalization companies while using active decisions to overweight lower valuations and higher profitability.

JHDG The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation while aiming for lower volatility and downside protection than broad equity markets. It combines high-conviction fundamental selection of primarily large-capitalization U.S. equities with an actively managed options hedge.

Why people hold it

• AVLC 0.15% a year against a 0.65% median for active U.S. equity funds. That is passive-style pricing on an actively run book.
• Holds about 900 names against the Russell 1000, so the value and profitability tilts sit on top of broad market exposure instead of a concentrated bet.avantisinvestors.com
• One of the stronger builds in the active U.S. equity group, priced in the same neighborhood as the Dimensional core funds (DFAU, DFAC) it competes with.
• A multi-billion-dollar fund that trades steadily, so spreads and liquidity are rarely the sticking point. Distributions are paid quarterly.

• JHDG 0.49% net of a waiver through July 31, 2027 (0.81% gross) sits below the category median and under options-hedged peers such as HEGD at 0.87%.
• One ticker, two jobs: high-conviction fundamental stock selection and an actively managed options hedge, run inside the fund instead of bolted on by you.
• What's inside matches the filings closely: roughly 120 primarily large-cap US stocks, with the S&P 500 named as the reference point.
• A 2026 arrival that already stands in the upper half of a crowded active US equity field.

Worth knowing

• AVLC Launched in 2023. The tilt philosophy is well worn at Avantis, but this fund's own live record is still short.
• Active, not index-tracking. The Russell 1000 is a reference point, not a leash, so holdings and weights can drift from it.
• Leaning toward cheaper, higher-profitability companies means stretches where it moves differently from the plain cap-weighted market, in either direction.avantisinvestors.com

• JHDG Launched April 2026, so the record is short and the hedge has not yet been through a full market cycle.
• Assets are modest and trading is light next to the category's index giants, which can mean wider bid-ask spreads.
• Cushioning costs money: option premium plus a fee above plain index trackers like AVLC at 0.15%. That is the trade for aiming at lower volatility.

Full AVLC profile⁠

Full JHDG profile⁠