Per Stirling Adds Nearly 66K FIXD Shares in $2.9 Million Buy: What Investors Should Know

What happened

According to an SEC filing dated May 11, 2026, Per Stirling Capital Management acquired an additional 65,904 shares of First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD 0.01%), during the first quarter. The estimated value of the trade was $2.92 million, based on the average closing price for the period. The quarter-end value of the position increased by $2.61 million, reflecting both the new purchases and changes in the underlying share price.

What else to know

• This was a buy, bringing the FIXD stake to 2.02% of Per Stirling’s 13F reportable assets under management as of March 31, 2026.
• Top holdings after the filing:
  • NYSEMKT: IVV: $48.24 million (5.3% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ: DGRW: $28.84 million (3.2% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT: VEA: $28.09 million (3.1% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT: IVW: $24.01 million (2.7% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT: IVE: $22.27 million (2.5% of AUM)
• As of May 13, 2026, shares of FIXD were priced at $43.54, up 0.92% over the past year; the fund underperformed the S&P 500 by -25.54 percentage points.
• Dividend yield for FIXD stands at 4.66% as of May 12, 2026.

ETF overview

ETF snapshot

• Investment strategy focuses on maximizing long-term total return by allocating at least 80% of assets to a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities.
• The fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities.
• FIXD is structured as an exchange-traded fund.

First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) is a large-scale fixed income ETF with a market capitalization of $3.36 billion. The fund seeks to deliver long-term total return by actively managing a diversified bond portfolio, balancing credit quality, duration, and sector exposure. FIXD appeals to investors looking for consistent income and broad access to the U.S. fixed income market through a liquid, cost-efficient vehicle.

What this transaction means for investors

Per Stirling’s addition of 65,904 shares to a portfolio that already held 354,005 shares of FIXD is a relatively small move, but it suggests the firm remains comfortable with the ETF’s flexible, actively managed approach to the bond market.

FIXD takes a different approach to fixed-income investing than a typical bond fund. The fund’s managers can adjust exposure to variables such as interest-rate risk, credit quality of individual bonds, and mortgage-backed debt, depending on current market conditions.

That flexibility can help the fund adapt to changes in the bond market, but its performance is heavily reliant on the managers’ choices around allocation, duration, and other factors. As a result, FIXD may carry more risk than a traditional bond ETF and may be less predictable. Investors may find the higher yield appealing, though.

Investors considering FIXD should weigh their risk tolerance, income needs, and investment horizon before choosing it over a more traditional bond ETF.