Eventide US Market ETF (ESUM) seeks to track the performance of U.S. equity markets while applying environmental, social, and governance (ESG) screening criteria that align with Christian values. This faith-based investing approach excludes companies involved in activities like abortion, pornography, gambling, and tobacco while focusing on broad U.S. market exposure.
How It Works
ESUM employs a passively managed approach that tracks a custom index of U.S. stocks filtered through Eventide's proprietary values-based screening process. The fund excludes companies based on business activities conflicting with Christian principles, then weights remaining holdings by market capitalization. As a newly launched ETF, specific rebalancing frequency and exact holdings count are still being established, but the strategy targets broad diversification across sectors and market capitalizations within the values-compliant universe.
Key Features
- Combines broad U.S. market exposure with Christian values-based screening, offering faith-aligned investing without sacrificing diversification
- Zero expense ratio launch promotion makes it one of the most cost-effective values-based ETFs available to investors
- Newly launched in December 2024, providing fresh approach to faith-based investing with modern ETF structure and liquidity
Risks
- This ETF can lose value if excluded sectors like technology or healthcare outperform, as values-based screening may limit exposure to high-performing companies
- New fund risk exists with minimal assets and no performance history, potentially creating liquidity challenges and tracking difficulties during volatile periods
- Broad equity market exposure means the fund could decline 20-40% during bear markets, similar to other diversified U.S. stock ETFs
Who Should Own This
Best suited for faith-based investors with 5+ year time horizons seeking core equity exposure (30-60% of portfolio) aligned with Christian values. Medium-to-high risk tolerance required due to equity volatility and concentration risk from sector exclusions. Appropriate for investors prioritizing values alignment over maximum returns in tax-advantaged retirement accounts.