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BDVL vs SAMT

iShares Disciplined Volatility Equity Active ETF

BDVLANasdaq

Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF

SAMTBNYSE Arca

Overlap

Expense ratio

BDVL −0.27pt a year

BDVL0.39%SAMT0.66%

Avg volume · 30D

BDVL 1.6×the volume

BDVL236KSAMT150K

BDVL vs SAMT Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

+9.6%BDVL+8.8%SAMT

Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. BDVL +9.6%. SAMT +8.8%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−5%0%15%20%25%Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
BDVL 0.39%, better
SAMT 0.66%
Fund size
BDVL $1.77B
SAMT $794M
1Y total return
BDVL +9.6%, better
SAMT +8.8%
Yield (12M)
BDVL No data
SAMT 0.66%
Holdings
BDVL 423
SAMT 29
Avg volume (30D)
BDVL 236K sh, better
SAMT 150K sh
NAV per share
BDVL $26.44
SAMT $41.55
52W range

ETF.net Grade

BDVL: Cost 79, Risk 80, Mission not scored, Tradability 68, Holdings 88, Durability 93. SAMT: Cost 55, Risk 40, Mission not scored, Tradability 84, Holdings 53, Durability 71.
Pillar letters and Scores for BDVL, SAMT, with each pillar’s weight
PillarBDVLSAMT
Cost30% weightA79HigherB55
Mission25% weightNot scoredNot scored
Risk15% weightA80HigherC40
Tradability15% weightB68A84Higher
Holdings10% weightA88HigherC53
Durability5% weightA93HigherA71

Rank among Global Active Equity funds

Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. BDVL and SAMT are both graded against the same 44 Global Active Equity funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Global Active Equity⁠

Category · 44 funds
See all 44 ›

BDVL ranks 1st and SAMT 17th of 44 funds in the Global Active Equity Category.

  1. Rank 1AAVTMAvantis Total Equity Markets ETF 1Score 79
  2. Rank 1ABDVLiShares Disciplined Volatility Equity Active ETFScore 79
  3. Rank 1ADFAWDimensional World Equity ETFScore 79
  4. Rank 15BAVOSAvos Global Equities ETFScore 59
  5. Rank 17BSAMTStrategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETFScore 58
  6. Rank 18BTGLBT. Rowe Price Global Equity ETFScore 56

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

BDVLAiShares Disciplined Volatility Equity Active ETF

SAMTBStrategas Macro Thematic Opportunities 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.

SAMT Most thematic ETFs are one-trick: one theme, forever. SAMT runs three to five macro themes at once and rotates them as the cycle turns, steered by Strategas, the macro research shop behind it. Flat 0.66%, no waiver.

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.

SAMT The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation through active investment principally in U.S. common stocks associated with three to five macro-thematic trends. The Adviser uses technical, fundamental, qualitative, and quantitative analysis and may adjust the portfolio as trends change.

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.
  • SAMT Single-theme funds live or die by one idea. SAMT holds three to five macro themes at a time and rotates them as trends change, so no single story carries the portfolio.strategasetfs.com
  • The calls come from Strategas' own macro research desk, an institutional strategy firm operating since 2006 and now part of Baird, not an outside index provider.strategasetfs.comlinkedin.com
  • Roughly 50 US-listed stocks across the cap spectrum, so a theme can be played through mid and small caps, not just the usual mega-cap proxies.strategasetfs.com
  • Among the easier funds in its peer group to get in and out of, which matters for a strategy that reshuffles as themes rotate.

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.
  • SAMT At 0.66% the fee sits near the norm for active global equity funds, but broad-index rivals like AVTM (0.22%) and AVGE (0.23%) cost far less.
  • Concentration cuts both ways: with roughly 50 names in a handful of themes, a trend that stalls can weigh on the whole fund. The prospectus flags this risk by name.strategasetfs.com
  • No index to check the manager against. Holdings reflect the team's conviction calls, and the live record only starts at the January 2022 launch.

Full BDVL profile⁠

Full SAMT profile⁠

BDVL vs SAMT Holdings

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

BDVL vs SAMT Cost

Overpaying SAMT vs BDVL

$4,998

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • BDVL 0.39%

    $7,898

  • SAMT 0.66%

    $12,896

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • BDVL 0.39%
  • SAMT 0.66%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K051015202530SAMT $12,896BDVL $7,898

Year by year

YearBDVLSAMTOverpaying
10$705$1,180$475
20$2,725$4,504$1,779
30$7,898$12,896$4,998

Expense ratio

  • 0.39%BDVL, cheaper
  • 0.66%SAMT
  • Middle half of Global Active Equity funds
  • Median 0.69%

BDVL 9th cheapest of 44 funds

SAMT 21st cheapest of 44 funds

BDVL vs SAMT Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
BDVL No data
SAMT 0.66%
Payout (12M)
BDVL No data
SAMT $0.27
Last payment
BDVL $0.22
SAMT $0.27
Ex-dividend
BDVL Jun 15, 2026
SAMT Dec 30, 2025
Paid on
BDVL Jun 18, 2026
SAMT Jan 7, 2026
Frequency
BDVL Twice a year
SAMT Annual

Distribution history

Per share, 2022 to 2026, same scale for both

BDVLTwice a year · 2 paymentsAll BDVL payments⁠
One bar per payment. 2 payments from 2022 to 2026 YTD. Dec 16, 2025 $0.69; Jun 15, 2026 $0.22. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.5020232026YTD
SAMTAnnual · 4 paymentsAll SAMT payments⁠
One bar per payment. 4 payments from 2022 to 2026 YTD. Dec 28, 2022 $0.17; Dec 28, 2023 $0.34; Dec 30, 2024 $0.41; Dec 30, 2025 $0.27. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.5020232026YTD

BDVL vs SAMT Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
BDVL 8.7%since Oct 2025SAMT 15.3%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
BDVL 0.60since Oct 2025SAMT 1.22
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
BDVL −7.7%since Sep 2025SAMT −20.6%since Jan 2022
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
BDVL 0.61SAMT 0.85

BDVL and SAMT in the news

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