
Trenchless Fund ETF (the “Fund”) seeks capital appreciation.
Is RVER's expense ratio expensive, average, or a steal for its category?
Pro reveals the verdict on a 5-tier spectrum calibrated against ICI 2025 industry averages, with strategy-aware bands so the comparison is meaningful.

This article initiates my coverage of the Trenchless Fund ETF by River1 Asset Management. RVER is actively managed with a 0.65% ER and typically holds only 12-25 stocks. Growth-at-a-reasonable-price is the main objective. RVER's managers select from a wide universe of stocks and have created a portfolio featuring twice the growth of SPY trading at the same valuation. However, RVER's current selections are extremely volatile, evidenced by the portfolio's 1.36 weighted average five-year beta. Their margins are also relatively weak, suggesting quality is not a key focus.

Wednesday saw the launch of the actively managed Trenchless Fund ETF (NYSE Arca: RVER), which invests in a fairly narrow portfolio of U.S.-listed equity securities. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.65%.