AVLC vs USFE

AVLCAAvantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

USFECFirst Eagle US 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.

USFE First Eagle built its name buying resilient businesses only at a discount to what they are worth. USFE puts that margin-of-safety discipline on US stocks, priced below most active rivals.

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.

USFE The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

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.

• USFE Costs 0.45% a year, well under the 0.65% median for active US equity funds in its peer group. Cheap freight for a stockpicker.
• Runs First Eagle's signature playbook: resilient companies with strong balance sheets and prudent management, bought only at a "margin of safety" to estimated intrinsic value.firsteagle.com
• A fully active, transparent 1940 Act fund whose stated goal is long-term growth of capital, extending an ETF lineup the firm started in late 2024.firsteagle.com

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

• USFE Launched in 2026, still small and thinly traded. Little live history to judge, and spreads can run wider than on a big index fund.
• The 0.45% is net of a contractual expense cap; the stated management fee is 0.79%. Check the current prospectus for how long the waiver runs.sec.govsec.gov 2
• Broad rivals like DFAU (0.12%) and AVLC (0.15%) cost a third as much. Here you pay for stockpicking and a value tilt that moves differently from the market.

Full AVLC profile⁠

Full USFE profile⁠