BDVL vs RGEF

BDVLAiShares Disciplined Volatility Equity Active ETF

RGEFBRockefeller Global Equity ETF

In short

BDVL A global low-volatility fund with an active engine: a quant model picks roughly 500 stocks on low vol, quality and value, scored against MSCI's ACWI Minimum Volatility Index. Fee: 0.39% net of a waiver through June 30, 2028.

RGEF The Rockefeller name in ticker form. Active global stock picking with a mandate that stretches from developed markets through emerging and frontier, priced at 0.55% a year, under what most active global funds charge.

Stated mandate

BDVL The Fund seeks risk-adjusted total return through active management of equity exposure, with a focus on managing volatility relative to the broad equity market.

RGEF The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital through active management of a global equity portfolio. At least 80% of net assets are invested in global equity securities.

Why people hold it

• BDVL Costs 0.39% net of a waiver through June 30, 2028, below the median fee among global active equity peers and under sibling fund BFLX at 0.40%.
• Roughly 500 holdings worldwide, so no single stock runs the show. Its holdings build and risk profile rank among the strongest in its peer group.
• Built to hold core equity exposure while leaning toward stocks that have shown smaller price swings than the broad market.ishares.com
• Trading since 2017, a long life for an active equity ETF, and it has gathered billions from investors along the way.

• RGEF 0.55% a year for hands-on global management, below the typical fee among active global peers. Human stock picking usually costs more than this.
• The mandate reaches past the usual developed-market roster into emerging and frontier names, with at least 80% of net assets in global equity securities.
• Sits in the upper half of its active global equity peer group, a respectable footing for a fund that only opened its doors in 2024. Pays quarterly.

Worth knowing

• BDVL A model, not an index, picks the names. Active discretion cuts both ways against the MSCI minimum-volatility benchmark it is measured by.
• The low-vol tilt means lighter exposure to the market's most volatile high-flyers, which shapes how it behaves when those names run.
• Cheaper active options sit in the same category: AVTM at 0.22% and AVGE at 0.23% deliver broad global equity without the volatility focus.

• RGEF Thinly traded next to the household names of the category. Limit orders and avoiding the opening bell matter more with a fund like this.
• Rules-based global rivals cost a fraction: GSWO charges 0.15% and DFAW 0.24%. Here you are paying for Rockefeller's judgment rather than an index.
• Launched in late 2024, so the track record is short and the strategy has not yet been through a full market cycle in this wrapper.

Full BDVL profile⁠

Full RGEF profile⁠