Oakmark, Hartford and REX launch October ETFs

Oakmark's U.S. Concentrated ETF (OAKL) holds $334 million, one of October's largest ETF launches by assets, according to ETF Database data cited by ETF Trends. The active large-cap value fund charges 59 basis points and comes from Harris Investors, the Natixis Investment Managers-affiliated shop under which Oakmark operates. It added $32.5 million over the last month. ETF Trends describes the mandate as emphasizing quality firms priced at a discount to the value its managers see.

The month's thematic entry is the REX Peptide ETF (PEPT), which charges 65 bps to track the VettaFi Peptide Index. The index is market-cap weighted and covers companies engaged in peptide manufacture and development, with members sorted into core and diversified tranches. The fund targets peptide-based products for supplements, cosmetics and medicine, with South Korea a key market for health and skincare applications, ETF Trends reported. VettaFi, the index provider, receives a licensing fee from the fund.

The three launched within a 9 bps fee band, 56 to 65 bps, so the choice for advisors rests on exposure and index construction rather than price. An advisor whose equity allocation leans on U.S. large-cap value gets a second active sleeve in Hartford's international fund at 56 bps, while PEPT's 65 bps buys a rules-based basket whose core and diversified tranches set how concentrated the peptide bet becomes.

Hartford launched the Alpha Capture International Value ETF (ACIV) in the middle of October. It invests actively in international value stocks, draws on the insight of multiple fundamental equity teams, and charges 56 bps.

U.S. ETF launches reached 1,159 while 239 funds closed, roughly one for every five launches, as Private Wealth Daily previously reported. 51% of U.S. ETFs hold under $100 million, per the same coverage, so OAKL's $334 million puts it in a minority of the shelf.