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CWS

AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS)

Rating:74Outperform
Price Target:$76.00â–²(13.36% Upside)

CWS, the AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF, earns a solid overall rating largely because several core holdings like Comfort Systems USA (FIX), Amphenol (APH), and Mueller Industries (MLI) show strong financial performance, growth initiatives, and generally supportive technical trends. At the same time, positions such as McKesson (MCK) and Casey’s General Stores (CASY) introduce some drag through leverage, profitability, and bearish or mixed technical signals, and the fund’s focused approach means investors should be aware that concentrated exposure to a relatively small set of stocks can increase risk if any of these key names stumble.

Positive Factors
Strong Top HoldingsMost of the fund’s largest positions have shown strong year-to-date gains, helping support overall performance despite recent weakness.
Sector Diversification Across the EconomyThe ETF spreads its investments across health care, technology, industrials, consumer, financials, and utilities, which helps reduce the impact of trouble in any single industry.
Focused U.S. ExposureWith nearly all assets in U.S. companies, investors get targeted exposure to the U.S. market without added currency or foreign-market risks.
Negative Factors
High Expense RatioThe fund’s fee is relatively high for an ETF, which can eat into long-term returns compared with lower-cost options.
Recent Performance WeaknessThe ETF has shown weak returns over the year-to-date and three-month periods, indicating recent challenges in its strategy or holdings.
Concentration in a Few SectorsA large portion of the portfolio is in health care and technology, which increases the risk if these sectors face a downturn.

CWS vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

AUM
112.41M
Region
North America
Expense Ratio
0.65%
Beta
0.63
Issuer
AdvisorShares
Inception Date
Sep 20, 2016
Dividend Yield
0.31%
Asset Class
Equity
Index Tracked
No Underlying Index

CWS Summary

AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS) is an actively managed fund that aims to pick a select group of U.S. stocks across the total market, rather than tracking a fixed index. It focuses heavily on health care, technology, and industrial companies, with well-known names like McKesson and Thermo Fisher among its top holdings. Someone might invest in CWS for diversified exposure to different sectors and company sizes, with the potential for long-term growth through careful stock selection. A key risk is that, because it concentrates in certain sectors and individual stocks, its value can go up or down more than the overall market.

How much will it cost me?

This ETF has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which means you’ll pay about $6.50 per year for every $1,000 you invest. That’s higher than the average ETF because it’s actively managed, with a manager selecting and adjusting the fund’s stocks rather than just tracking a simple index.

What would affect this ETF?

This ETF is heavily invested in U.S. health care, technology, and industrial companies, so it could benefit if innovation, medical spending, and business investment stay strong and the U.S. economy grows steadily. On the downside, higher interest rates, slower economic growth, or new regulations affecting health care or technology could hurt company profits, and because the fund is actively focused on a relatively small set of stocks, poor stock selection could weigh more heavily on performance.

CWS Top 10 Holdings

CWS is leaning heavily on industrial and tech names, with Comfort Systems and IES Holdings acting as key engines of long‑term gains even though their recent stretch has been a bit mixed. Science Applications and Amphenol are steadier contributors, helping smooth out bumps with more consistent momentum. On the health care side, Thermo Fisher is rising and adds a high‑quality tilt, while McKesson’s more uneven trading keeps it from fully pulling its weight. With all holdings U.S.-based, this is a domestically focused, sector-diversified but industrial-tilted story.

CWS top ten holdings
NameCompany NameWeight %Market ValueMarket CapYearly GainOverall Rating
SAICSAICScience Applications6.01%$6.84M$6.36B65.97%71Outperform
FIXFIXComfort Systems5.80%$6.61M$43.13B27.96%80Outperform
CASYCASYCasey's General4.93%$5.62M$25.14B31.17%68Neutral
MCKMCKMcKesson4.89%$5.56M$115.96B20.48%62Neutral
TMOTMOThermo Fisher5.01%$5.70M$257.71B25.31%72Outperform
FDSFDSFactset Research4.49%$5.12M$11.62B22.50%78Outperform
HSICHSICHenry Schein4.62%$5.26M$9.46B34.94%74Outperform
APHAPHAmphenol4.91%$5.59M$195.55B14.01%78Outperform
IESCIESCIES Holdings4.58%$5.22M$8.30B5.85%76Outperform
AWKAWKAmerican Water4.39%$5.00M$28.74B13.95%73Outperform

CWS Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNegative
Last Price67.04

Price Trends

50DMA68.83Negative
100DMA69.32Negative
200DMA68.46Negative

Market Momentum

MACD-0.27Negative
RSI41.52Neutral
STOCH27.48Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in ETF analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CWS, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 67.04 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 67.73, below the 50-day MA of 68.83, and below the 200-day MA of 68.46, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.27 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 41.52 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 27.48 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for CWS.

CWS Peer Comparison

Comparison Results

CWS against its peer funds
NamePricePrice TargetAUMExpense RatioOverall Rating
CWSCWS$67.04$76.00(13.36% Upside)$112.41M0.65%74Outperform
SEUSSEUS$25.65$30.94(20.62% Upside)$946.37M0.30%73Outperform
BGDVBGDV$31.27$37.25(19.11% Upside)$877.55M0.45%74Outperform
AAUBAAUB$49.94$60.90(21.95% Upside)$845.51M0.10%66Neutral
AVTMAVTM$53.85$64.69(20.12% Upside)$779.89M0.22%60Neutral
SMRISMRI$47.20$56.76(20.27% Upside)$705.39M0.71%73Outperform

Performance Comparison

0%20%40%CWSSEUSBGDVAAUBAVTMSMRIDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
CWS and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
CWSAdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF67.04-0.13-0.20%
SEUSSEI QiM U.S. Equity Factor Allocation Active ETF25.650.391.53%
BGDVBahl & Gaynor Dividend ETF31.275.0319.16%
AAUBAlpha Architect US Equity 4 ETF49.940.450.91%
AVTMAvantis Total Equity Markets ETF53.854.218.47%
SMRIBushido Capital US Equity ETF47.2012.8637.44%
Glossary
BuyAn ETF rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldAn ETF rated as a "Hold" s expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the ETF is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellAn ETF rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF may deliver lower returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer

This AI Analyst ETF Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in ETFs carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.