STRV’s Quiet Ascent: A Tale of Modest Gains and Calculated Bets

The Securities and Exchange Commission, that most solemn of arbiters, has once again provided the stage for a performance of calculated opacity. On November 4, 2025, Uptick Partners, LLC, with the air of a man placing a bet on a horse with a name like “Steady Eddie,” reported acquiring 61,914 shares of EA Series Trust – Strive 500 ETF (STRV 0.61%), a transaction valued at $2.57 million. One imagines the firm’s analysts sipping lukewarm coffee as they scribbled this into their ledgers.

What Happened

In the third quarter of 2025, Uptick Partners, LLC, a name that suggests a firm perpetually one step behind the market, chose to dance with STRV, adding 61,914 shares to its portfolio. The transaction, estimated at $2.57 million, brought the firm’s total holdings to 324,864 shares, valued at $14.03 million by quarter-end. One might call it a modest coup-or perhaps a prudent hedge against the inevitable collapse of the next speculative bubble.

What Else to Know

This acquisition elevated STRV to 3.68% of Uptick’s 13F AUM, a figure that, in the grand theater of finance, is neither triumph nor tragedy but the quiet hum of capital’s eternal march. The fund’s top holdings-a portfolio as unassuming as a man in a tweed coat-include USFR ($33.14 million, 8.7% of AUM), STXG and STXV (each 5.1%), BUXX ($18.73 million, 4.9%), and FTSM ($17.97 million, 4.7%).

As of November 3, 2025, STRV shares traded at $44.27, a 20.9% ascent over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 2.33 percentage points. Its annualized dividend yield of 1.04% and a price 1.46% below its 52-week high suggest a fund that, while not thrilling, is at least not calamitous.

ETF Overview

Metric	Value
Price (as of market close November 3, 2025)	$44.27
Dividend yield	1.04%
1-year total return	20.9%

ETF Snapshot

EA Series Trust – Strive 500 ETF, a passively managed vehicle, exists to mirror the performance of a U.S. large-cap index. Its strategy is as unexciting as a man who refuses to take off his hat indoors: invest in the benchmark, minimize tracking error, and let the market do the work. For those who find comfort in the familiar, STRV offers a diversified, low-cost entry into the American equity market-though one suspects the only drama here is the quarterly reconciliation of expenses.

The fund’s investment strategy, a masterclass in restraint, seeks to replicate its index before fees and expenses. It caters to institutional and individual investors who prefer the quiet dignity of passive management over the cacophony of active speculation.

Foolish Take

For the average investor, STRV is a companionable, if unremarkable, partner. With an expense ratio of 0.05%, it is the financial equivalent of a well-tailored suit-efficient, understated, and perpetually in vogue. Its three-year CAGR of 19.6% is a modest triumph in an age of grandiose promises. Yet in a world where even the most ardent optimist might question the wisdom of entrusting one’s savings to a hedge fund manager who once named his yacht after a derivative, STRV’s simplicity is almost noble.

Passive ETFs, of which STRV is a paragon, have become the default choice for investors who wisely distrust the alchemy of active management. They offer a reliable, if unglamorous, way to participate in the slow, grinding advance of the S&P 500. After all, what could possibly go wrong with a fund that merely tracks the market, rather than attempting to outguess it?

In conclusion, STRV is neither a revolution nor a folly. It is, in the best tradition of financial instruments, a tool. Whether it is wielded with wisdom or folly depends entirely on the hands that hold it. 🚀

Glossary

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): An investment fund traded on stock exchanges, holding a basket of assets like stocks or bonds. A modern invention that allows one to own a slice of the market without actually owning anything.

Stake: The ownership interest or share held in a company or fund by an investor. A term that implies significance, though often refers to minuscule percentages.

Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of investments managed by a fund or investment firm. A number that, when large, suggests either competence or luck.

13F AUM: AUM reported to the SEC on Form 13F, covering U.S. equity holdings. A necessary evil in the bureaucratic ballet of finance.

Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by an investment, expressed as a percentage of its current price. A figure that, while comforting, rarely compensates for poor returns.

Annualized: A figure (such as return or yield) converted to a yearly rate for comparison purposes. A mathematical sleight of hand that makes everything seem more impressive.

Tracking error: The difference between a fund’s returns and those of its benchmark index. A measure of how well-or poorly-a fund sticks to its script.

Index-tracking: An investment strategy aiming to replicate the performance of a specific market index. A pursuit of mediocrity, dressed in the robes of prudence.

Large-cap: Refers to companies with a large market capitalization, typically over $10 billion. A term that suggests stability, though history shows even the largest can fall.

Quarter-end: The last day of a fiscal quarter, used for reporting financial positions. A moment of ritualistic accounting that often bears little resemblance to reality.

Outperforming: Achieving a higher return than a benchmark or comparable investment. A temporary victory in a war of attrition.

Passively managed: A fund management style that aims to replicate an index rather than actively select securities. A strategy that, while dull, often proves less disastrous than its alternatives.

2025-11-06 18:33