AKRE: A Trader’s Confession

Right. So, February 28th, 2026. Another day, another portfolio tweak. And today’s obsession? Cross Staff Investments Inc. They’ve gone and bought a rather substantial chunk – 289,630 shares, to be precise – of the Akre Focus ETF (AKRE). A cool $18.97 million, apparently. One wonders if they, too, spend their evenings staring at candlestick charts and questioning all their life choices.

It’s a new position for them, which is…interesting. It represents 10.45% of their 13F reportable AUM as of December 31st, 2025. Which is a commitment. A statement. I, meanwhile, am still trying to decide if oat milk is a worthwhile investment.

Here’s where they’re putting their money, as of the filing. It’s always good to know who else is potentially making (or losing) money alongside you. It’s like misery loves company, but with more spreadsheets.

NYSE:AKRE: $18.97 million (10.45% of AUM)
NASDAQ:COST: $16.04 million (8.8% of AUM)
NASDAQ:AAPL: $12.43 million (6.8% of AUM)
NYSE:BRK.B: $8.16 million (4.5% of AUM)
NASDAQ:AMZN: $6.23 million (3.4% of AUM)

The price, as of yesterday, was $56.14. Down 20.61% over the past year. Ouch. Underperforming the S&P 500 by a rather depressing 37.97 percentage points. It’s moments like these I consider a career change. Perhaps alpaca farming. They seem less volatile.

A quick rundown of the basics, for those of us who occasionally forget what we own:

Metric	Value
Price (as of market close Feb. 27, 2026)	$56.14
AUM	$8.42 billion
Industry	Asset Management

AKRE, for the uninitiated, is an actively managed ETF. Basically, someone is actually trying to pick good stocks. Which, frankly, feels optimistic. It holds a diversified portfolio of U.S. equities – common and preferred stocks, REITs, the whole shebang. They look for companies with high returns on capital, strong management, and, crucially, opportunities for reinvestment. It sounds…sensible. Almost too sensible.

Their strategy is all about quality and concentration. They focus on U.S. companies with solid shareholder returns. They’re flexible, too, which is good. They can invest across different market caps and security types. It’s all very…thoughtful. I, on the other hand, just panic-buy when I see a red candle.

They’re not afraid to sell when valuations get silly, or when something better comes along. Which is…responsible. I’m still holding onto that meme stock from 2021. For sentimental reasons, obviously.

So, what does this mean for us, the investing public? Well, AKRE aims for above-average returns. It requires that no more than 25% of assets be allocated to a single stock, and no more than 35% to international stocks. But with under 20 holdings, it’s much more concentrated than your average ETF. Which means it could be higher risk, but also higher reward. It’s a gamble, really. Like most things in life.

It’s outperformed the S&P 500 for much of its history since its launch in 2009. But it’s faltered recently, with its price sinking by over 20% in the last 12 months. Which could be a buying opportunity. Or a trap. It’s always a trap, isn’t it? Increased volatility is a given, naturally. I’m currently experiencing increased volatility in my sleep pattern.

And let’s not forget, AKRE focuses on small- and mid-cap stocks. Which are inherently more volatile than their larger counterparts. But they also have greater earning potential. It’s a delicate balance. Between the narrow focus and the smaller companies, it’s a bit of a high-wire act. A higher-risk, higher-reward investment. Like dating in your thirties.

Units of Cryptocurrency Lost: 12. Hours Spent Watching Charts: 9. Number of Panicked Texts to Friends: 24. Will become disciplined long-term investor. (Probably.)

2026-02-28 23:32

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