- Business
- Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF (SMIG) is an actively managed exchange-traded fund that primarily invests in dividend-paying U.S.-listed equity securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies to seek current and growing dividend income, downside protection, and long-term capital appreciation. The Fund employs a fundamental, bottom-up stock-picking approach, focusing on high-quality businesses capable of compounding capital and dividends at attractive growth rates; it benchmarks performance against the Russell 2500 Total Return Index and the S&P 500 Index while maintaining a diversified portfolio across sectors such as industrials, financials, consumer staples, utilities, and real estate. Shares trade on the NYSE Arca exchange and are created or redeemed in Creation Units of 10,000 shares, typically in exchange for a basket of securities and cash.
Launched on August 25, 2021 as a series of ETF Series Solutions and originally named AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, the Fund underwent a significant rebranding prior to March 8, 2024, to become the Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, reflecting the transition to direct management by Bahl & Gaynor, Inc., the Cincinnati, Ohio-based, 100% employee-owned investment adviser founded in 1990. In May 2025, SMIG surpassed $1 billion in assets under management amid strong investor inflows of approximately $586 million over the prior year, highlighting robust growth in its active ETF strategy. The Fund has consistently distributed monthly dividends, with recent payouts such as $0.070287 per share in December 2024 and ongoing income growth of +9.4% over the trailing twelve months as of second quarter 2025, outpacing the Russell 2500.
Bahl & Gaynor, Inc. serves as the investment adviser, applying its unified philosophy of long-term ownership of dividend growth equities; the portfolio managers select securities based on assessments of fundamentals, valuations, and economic conditions, generally selling positions when performance falls below thresholds or better opportunities arise. The ETF targets institutional and individual investors seeking small/mid-cap exposure with an emphasis on income and risk management, holding positions in companies like Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., Victory Capital Holdings Inc., Hartford Insurance Group Inc., Snap-on Inc., and Targa Resources Corp., among others in its top 10 holdings. Operations remain focused on the U.S. equity markets, with the adviser headquartered at 255 East 5th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.