AVMC vs BRSM

AVMCAAvantis U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

BRSMBMFS Blended Research Small-Mid Cap ETF

In short

AVMC The forgotten middle of the US market, run the Avantis way: roughly 600 mid-cap names tilted toward cheaper stocks with stronger profits, at 0.18% a year. Systematic active management priced like an index fund.

BRSM MFS has been blending its stock analysts' calls with its quant models since around 2000. BRSM puts that process into an ETF, pointed at small and mid caps and held close to the Russell 2500 on risk.

Stated mandate

AVMC Seeks long-term capital appreciation through a broad portfolio of U.S. mid-cap companies, emphasizing securities with lower valuations and higher profitability ratios.

BRSM The fund uses fundamental and quantitative analysis to select investments and builds a portfolio while managing issuer, industry, sector, market-capitalization, and volatility risks relative to the Russell 2500 Index.

Why people hold it

• AVMC 0.18% a year, against a 0.65% median for active US equity funds. Index-fund pricing on an active mandate.
• Spreads the value-and-profitability tilt across roughly 600 mid-caps, so it leans on the screen rather than a handful of concentrated picks.avantisinvestors.com
• One of the strongest implementations in our active US equity group, sitting with large-cap sibling AVLC and the Dimensional core funds.
• Pure mid-cap exposure with a quarterly distribution, filling the gap most portfolios leave between mega-caps and small caps.

• BRSM Costs 0.38% a year, below the going rate for actively run small/mid-cap funds.
• The engine isn't new: MFS has run its Blended Research process, fundamental analyst views plus quant models, since around 2000. The ETF wrapper is the fresh part.mfs.com
• Risk is managed against the Russell 2500: issuer, industry, sector, size and volatility exposures stay in check, so stock selection is meant to do the work.

Worth knowing

• AVMC Trades lighter than the giant index ETFs, which can mean wider bid-ask spreads at the moment you transact.
• Launched in 2023, so the live record is short. There's no published index behind it either: outcomes come from Avantis' own valuation and profitability rules.
• All mid-cap, no mega-cap ballast, plus a tilt away from expensive names. Both can put it out of step with a market led by the largest growth stocks.

• BRSM A June 2026 launch, so there is no long record of how the blend behaves in this wrapper through a full market cycle.
• Assets are still modest and trading light, which can mean wider bid/ask spreads than established peers carry.
• Cheaper systematic small/mid choices exist, among them AVMC and JMEE; the fee here buys MFS research, not a rules-based screen.

Full AVMC profile⁠

Full BRSM profile⁠