JHDG vs TACU

JHDGBJohn Hancock Hedged Equity ETF

TACUAT. Rowe Price Active Core U.S. Equity ETF

In short

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.

TACU T. Rowe Price's quant-plus-fundamental take on core large-cap U.S. stock, benchmarked to the Russell 1000. Gross fee 0.14%, fully waived to zero through January 30, 2027.

Stated mandate

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.

TACU The fund seeks long-term capital growth through a primarily U.S. equity portfolio. It combines quantitative models with fundamental, bottom-up analysis and seeks excess returns relative to the Russell 1000 Index.

Why people hold it

• 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.

• TACU Fee fully waived: 0.14% gross, zero net through January 30, 2027. That sits below every top-scoring peer in the category, including DFAU at 0.12% with no waiver.troweprice.com
• Quant models feed bottom-up stock picking with tilts to profitability, quality and value, chasing excess return over the Russell 1000 while holding tracking error tight.troweprice.com
• Several hundred large-cap names, so no single position runs the show. One of the stronger profiles in a crowded active U.S. equity field.troweprice.com

Worth knowing

• 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.

• TACU Launched in December 2025, so the live record is short and the risk read rests on limited history.
• Still a small fund that trades lightly, which can mean wider spreads than the category's giants.
• Distributions are annual at most, with no declared income target. This is a growth mandate, not a cash-flow one.

Full JHDG profile⁠

Full TACU profile⁠