Elevation Capital’s ETF Gamble: A Cosmic Bet on Mega-Caps?

Elevation Capital Advisory, LLC has, in a moment of inexplicable bravery, acquired 128,122 shares of the Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF (USMC +0.35%), a move that would make even the most jaded investor pause and wonder if they’ve accidentally joined a cult. The transaction, valued at $8.7 million as of Sept. 30, is a testament to the human capacity for optimism, or perhaps just a very well-timed panic attack.

The Cosmic Revelation of Q3

According to their Oct. 30 SEC filing, Elevation Capital Advisory, LLC has established a new stake in Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF (USMC +0.35%) during the third quarter. This is not merely a financial maneuver; it is a declaration that the universe is still, somehow, a place where people believe in the power of compound interest. The fund purchased 128,122 shares, which, at $69.85 each, would be enough to buy a small island if you’re feeling adventurous. (Note: The island is likely to be in a different time zone.)

What Else to Know (Or Why Your Brain Might Be Overloaded)

This is a new position for Elevation Capital Advisory, LLC, representing 3.49% of its reported $250.39 million in U.S. equity assets. For context, this is roughly the same amount of money you’d need to buy a coffee table that’s also a time machine. (Not that we recommend this.)

Top holdings after the filing:

  • NYSEMKT: MFUL: $19.7 million (7.9% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30. (AUM: A number so large it makes your brain feel like a deflating balloon.)
  • NYSEMKT: IWY: $14.2 million (5.7% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30. (AUM: Still a number that makes your brain feel like a deflating balloon.)
  • NASDAQ: VONG: $11 million (4.4% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30. (AUM: The final frontier.)
  • NYSEMKT: MGK: $11 million (4.4% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30. (AUM: A term that’s both a promise and a threat.)
  • NYSE: MKTOEF: $9.9 million (4% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30. (AUM: A number that makes your brain feel like a deflating balloon, but with better customer service.)

As of Oct. 29, the Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF shares were priced at $69.85, up 20.7% over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 2.6 percentage points. (Outperforming: A term that sounds impressive until you realize the S&P 500 is like a toddler with a calculator.)

The ETF’s annualized dividend yield is 0.79% as of Oct. 30. (Dividend yield: A number so small it’s like a whisper in a hurricane.)

The Cosmic Blueprint of the Company

Metric Value
AUM 3.3 Billion
Price (as of market close 2025-10-29) $69.85
Dividend yield 0.79%
1-year total return 20.74%

The Universe in a Nutshell

The ETF’s investment strategy focuses on tracking U.S. mega-cap equities by allocating at least 80% of assets to companies in the top 50th percentile of the S&P 500 Index by market capitalization. (Top 50th percentile: A concept that’s both a statistical marvel and a reminder that the universe is a bit of a mess.)

Underlying holdings are large, established U.S. companies, providing broad exposure to the mega-cap segment. (Broad exposure: A term that’s less about diversity and more about hoping the universe doesn’t collapse.)

The ETF is designed for investors seeking targeted exposure to the largest U.S. companies through a rules-based approach. (Rules-based approach: A fancy way of saying “we’ll follow the data, unless it’s not working, in which case we’ll panic.”)

Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF offers investors targeted exposure to the largest U.S. companies, leveraging a rules-based approach to capture the performance of mega-cap equities. (Leveraging: A word that sounds like a plan, but is often just a euphemism for “we’ll see.”)

The Foolish Take (Or Why You Shouldn’t Trust Anyone With Money)

Over the last three months, Elevation Capital Advisory built a sizeable position in the Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF. At the end of the quarter, it was valued at $8.7 million, representing 3.5% of the firm’s equity assets. (3.5%: A number that’s both significant and utterly meaningless in the grand scheme of things.)

The ETF seeks very large capitalization stocks, defined as the top 50th percentile of the S&P 500 index. Notably, the fund has concentrated holdings. (Concentrated holdings: A fancy way of saying “we’re putting all our eggs in one basket, but the basket is made of glitter.”)

It only has 24 stocks in the portfolio. The largest 10 positions account for 53.5% of the assets, as of Nov. 3. Hence, it doesn’t have a very diversified portfolio. (Diversified portfolio: A myth perpetuated by people who’ve never had to choose between a stable and a risky bet.)

They include companies like Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Costco (NASDAQ: COST). Clearly, these companies have mega capitalizations due to their success, and an investment in the ETF is an expectation that will continue. (Expectation that will continue: A belief that the universe will keep spinning, which is both comforting and terrifying.)

The information technology sector has the largest allocation, 32.3%. That’s followed by financials’ 19.8% and communication services’ 13.3%. Energy, with a 3.6% weight, has the lowest allocation. (Sector allocation: A dance of numbers that only makes sense if you’re a robot with a calculator.)

The Cosmic Glossary

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): An investment fund traded on stock exchanges, holding a basket of assets like stocks or bonds. (A basket that’s more likely to contain chaos than actual assets.)
AUM (Assets Under Management): The total market value of assets a fund or investment manager oversees on behalf of clients. (A number that’s both a promise and a warning.)
13F: A quarterly report filed by institutional investment managers to the SEC, disclosing their equity holdings. (A report that’s more about transparency than clarity.)
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by an investment, expressed as a percentage of its current price. (A percentage that’s more about hope than actual returns.)
Mega-cap: Companies with extremely large market capitalizations, typically among the largest publicly traded firms. (A term that’s both a compliment and a warning.)
Rules-based approach: An investment strategy that follows predefined, systematic criteria rather than discretionary decisions. (A strategy that’s less about logic and more about pretending to have a plan.)
Total return: The investment’s price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested. (A return that’s more about wishful thinking than actual math.)
Stake: The ownership interest or position an investor holds in a particular security or fund. (A stake that’s often more about ego than economics.)
Outperforming: Achieving a higher return compared to a specific benchmark or index over a given period. (A term that’s less about skill and more about luck.)
Underlying holdings: The individual securities or assets that make up a fund or ETF’s portfolio. (A portfolio that’s more about mystery than clarity.)
Annualized: A figure (such as a return or yield) expressed as if it were earned or paid over a full year. (A figure that’s more about projection than reality.)
Percentile: A statistical measure indicating the value below which a given percentage of observations fall. (A measure that’s more about confusion than insight.)

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2025-11-03 17:27