The Ledger’s Weight: A Fund’s Bet on Tech’s Fury

On a day when the air hung thick with the scent of ambition, McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management, LLC took a giant step into the fray of the Nasdaq-100. On October 20, 2025, they added 31,361 shares of ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) to their portfolio, a move worth roughly $2.86 million. The numbers, cold and unyielding, spoke of a calculated gamble-a bet on the volatile tides of tech stocks.

What Happened

The filing, a relic of bureaucratic rigor, revealed the firm’s hand. They had increased their stake in TQQQ by nearly 31,000 shares, a gesture that, in the grand scheme of things, felt like a drop in the ocean. Yet, for the fund, it was a significant shift. By quarter’s end, their TQQQ holdings totaled 682,781 shares, a sum that glittered with $70.60 million in value. The numbers, though vast, were a mirror to the fund’s priorities-a reflection of where capital flows when the market whispers promises.

What Else to Know

The purchase elevated TQQQ to 16.7% of the fund’s $421.95 million AUM, a figure that looms large in the world of finance. Yet, for the ordinary investor, such percentages are abstract, distant. The top holdings, a tapestry of wealth, included TQQQ, QQQ, and SPY-each a thread in the fabric of institutional power. The fund’s choices, though opaque, ripple outward, shaping the market’s tides.

As of October 20, 2025, TQQQ’s price stood at $107.89, a 43.8% surge over the year. Yet, this growth came at a cost. The ETF’s performance outpaced the S&P 500 by 33.3 percentage points, a gap that speaks to the allure-and peril-of leverage.

ETF Overview

Metric Value
Price (as of market close October 20, 2025) $107.89
Dividend yield 0.73%
1-year total return 43.8%

ETF Snapshot

Structured as a non-diversified fund, TQQQ is a beast of leverage, designed to amplify the Nasdaq-100’s daily movements by threefold. For those who dare to ride its waves, the rewards can be staggering-but so too the risks. The fund’s use of derivatives and borrowed capital turns it into a double-edged sword, capable of both soaring triumphs and devastating falls.

Foolish Take

The fund’s move is a testament to the relentless hunger for growth, a hunger that fuels the engines of Wall Street. Yet, for the retail investor, such decisions are a reminder of the chasm between institutions and the rest of us. TQQQ, for all its glitter, is a leveraged beast-one that demands caution. Its 3x returns may seem enticing, but the long-term track record tells a different story. Over ten years, TQQQ returned 2,360%, but that pales next to the Nasdaq-100’s own gains. The fees, the compounding, the volatility-all conspire to temper the promise of triple the returns.

For the average investor, the lesson is clear: leverage is a gamble, and the stakes are high. The fund’s confidence in TQQQ may be well-founded, but it is a confidence that comes with a price. Retail investors, burdened by smaller pockets and less expertise, would do well to tread carefully. The market’s fickle nature ensures that what rises swiftly can fall just as fast.

Glossary

13F AUM: The reported wealth of a fund, a number that masks the realities of its investments.

Reportable AUM: A slice of the fund’s assets, disclosed to regulators but often ignored by the public.

Stake: A measure of power, not just in dollars but in influence over markets.

Non-diversified fund: A tight grip on a few stocks, a strategy that can yield riches or ruin.

Leverage: Borrowed strength, a tool that can lift or crush.

Derivatives: Financial instruments that dance on the edge of risk, their value tied to the whims of the market.

Dividend yield: A small comfort in a world of uncertainty.

Total return: A measure of success, but one that often hides the true cost of entry.

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2025-10-28 18:17