LOWV vs SELV

LOWVBAB US Low Volatility Equity ETF

SELVASEI QiM US Large Cap Low Volatility Active ETF

In short

LOWV A stock picker's answer to low volatility. AB runs about 70 US large caps through its own quality, profitability and value screen instead of tracking a published low-vol index, at 0.39% a year.

SELV Active low-volatility large cap at index-fund pricing. SEI scores Russell 1000 names on volatility, momentum, quality and value, then holds roughly 90 of them, aiming for a smoother ride than the broad U.S. large-cap market.

Stated mandate

LOWV The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation through an actively managed portfolio primarily invested in U.S. large-cap equities, with an emphasis on lower volatility than the broader equity market.

SELV The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation while targeting lower volatility than the broad U.S. large-cap equity market.

Why people hold it

• LOWV Actively managed, not rules-mirrored: AB selects names on quality, profitability and value, aiming for lower volatility than the broad US market rather than copying a low-vol index.alliancebernstein.com
• 0.39% sits below the going rate for active low-vol equity ETFs, so less of the defensive premium goes to the manager.
• The portfolio does what the label says: US large caps, roughly 70 names, S&P 500 as the yardstick. Among the closer mandate-to-holdings matches in its defensive peer group.
• Concentration with intent. About 70 stocks means each pick carries weight, and income arrives on a quarterly schedule.

• SELV 0.15% a year, well under the typical low-vol competitor, and the cheapest of the top-graded funds in its group (CGCV 0.33%, LOWV 0.39%).
• Not a one-trick screen. The model blends low volatility with momentum, quality and value, so cheap and improving names can make the cut, not just the sleepiest ones.
• Roughly 90 stocks against a Russell 1000 reference: genuinely active positioning, not a closet index wearing a defensive label.
• Rates as one of the stronger implementations in a small defensive-equity peer group, largely on price discipline.

Worth knowing

• LOWV Thinly traded for the category. Limit orders and a glance at the spread matter more here than in a mega-fund.
• Launched in 2023, so the record is short. Low-vol strategies earn their keep across full drawdowns, and this one hasn't seen many.
• Competitive on fee, not the floor: peers SELV (0.15%) and CGCV (0.33%) charge less for a similar defensive brief.

• SELV Thinly traded. Spreads can run wider than the household-name low-vol funds, and bigger orders take patience.
• Lower volatility is the target, not a floor. The fund still owns stocks and can fall with the market, and defensive tilts tend to trail in fast, speculative rallies.
• Launched in 2022, so the live record is short and the asset base stays modest next to the category's giants.

Full LOWV profile⁠

Full SELV profile⁠