This Fund Just Bought Up $7.25 Million of a 35-Stock ETF Beating Its Benchmark by 17 Points

Key Points

Pettinga Financial Advisor established a new stake in BLCR, acquiring 169,230 shares during the first quarter; the estimated trade size was $7.25 million (based on quarterly average pricing).

Meanwhile, the quarter-end position value for BLCR was $6.95 million, reflecting the new stake acquired during the period and any price movement.

The new BLCR position accounts for 1.31% of the fund’s AUM.

• 10 stocks we like better than BlackRock ETF Trust - iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF ›

On April 13, 2026, Pettinga Financial Advisors disclosed a new position in the iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (NASDAQ:BLCR), acquiring 169,230 shares in the first quarter. The estimated transaction value was $7.25 million, based on quarterly average pricing.

What happened

According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated April 13, 2026, Pettinga Financial Advisors LLC acquired 169,230 shares of the iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (NASDAQ:BLCR) during the first quarter. The estimated transaction value was $7.25 million, based on the average closing price for BLCR between January 1 and March 31, 2026. The quarter-end value of the position was $6.95 million, reflecting price changes during the period.

What else to know

• This was a new position for Pettinga Financial Advisors LLC, representing 1.31% of the fund’s 13F AUM as of March 31, 2026.
• Top holdings after the filing:
• NYSEMKT: IVV: $38.29 million (7.2% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: CORO: $31.90 million (6.0% of AUM)
• NYSEMKT: IVE: $31.36 million (5.9% of AUM)
• NYSEMKT: IVW: $29.66 million (5.6% of AUM)

• NYSEMKT: LRGF: $27.45 million (5.2% of AUM)

• As of April 10, 2026, BLCR shares were priced at $44.19, up 54.0% over the past year and outperforming the S&P 500 by 23.12 percentage points.

ETF overview

| Metric | Value | |---|---| | AUM | $4 billion | | Price (as of market close April 10, 2026) | $44.19 | | Dividend yield | 0.3% | | 1-year price change | 54.0% |

ETF snapshot

• The fund pursues an active investment strategy aiming to maximize total return by investing primarily in large-cap U.S. equities, leveraging both fundamental and quantitative research.
• The ETF’s portfolio consists of a diversified basket of large capitalization U.S. stocks, with holdings selected based on a blend of financial analysis and data-driven insights.
• BLCR is designed for investors seeking dynamic exposure to the U.S. large-cap equity market through an actively managed approach.

The iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (BLCR) offers investors dynamic exposure to the U.S. large-cap equity market through an actively managed portfolio. The fund’s strategy combines rigorous fundamental analysis with quantitative screening to identify attractive opportunities among blue-chip stocks. With a focus on maximizing total return, BLCR provides a differentiated approach compared to traditional passive index ETFs, targeting enhanced performance and risk management for its investors.

What this transaction means for investors

This move is clearly a strategic bet on actively managed U.S. large-cap stocks, signaling the importance of stock selection in a highly competitive mega-cap market. For its part, BLCR has been doing well. The ETF has posted an impressive one-year return of about 34.6%, significantly outpacing its Russell 1000 benchmark, which sits at around 17.7%. The portfolio is notably concentrated, featuring just 35 holdings, with substantial investments in big names like Amazon, Nvidia, Alphabet, and Microsoft, each playing a crucial role in the performance. Sector-wise, it's heavily tilted towards information technology, which makes up about 34%, followed by industrials and financials, showcasing a growth-oriented but selective approach.

With around $4.5 billion in assets as of Monday and a relatively low net expense ratio of 0.36%, the fund manages to maintain scale without the typical cost burdens associated with many active strategies. This combination helps explain why the shares have surged 54% over the past year, outperforming the wider market, as well as why an investor like Pettinga would be leaning in.

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Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.