This Fund Bet $15 Million on Active Bonds While Making a Full Fallen Angel Exit

On January 12, Peak Financial Advisors disclosed a new position in the JPMorgan Active Bond ETF (NYSE:JBND), acquiring 278,276 shares in an estimated $15.05 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.

What happened

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing dated January 12, Peak Financial Advisors reported acquiring 278,276 shares of the JPMorgan Active Bond ETF (NYSE:JBND), marking a new position. The estimated value of the shares was $15.05 million.

What else to know

This is a new position accounting for 6.6% of 13F reportable assets under management as of December 31.

Top holdings after the filing:

• NYSE:FLXR: $25.43 million (11.4% of AUM)
• NYSEMKT:MTBA: $18.88 million (8.5% of AUM)
• NYSEMKT:GLDM: $17.14 million (7.7% of AUM)
• NYSEMKT:CTA: $15.90 million (7.1% of AUM)
• NASDAQ:EMB: $11.42 million (5.1% of AUM)

As of January 12, shares of JBND were priced at $54.07, down 3.0% from the 52-week high but up about 5% over the past year.

ETF overview

ETF snapshot

• JBND seeks to outperform the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index over a three to five year cycle using an actively managed, diversified bond portfolio.
• The ETF maintains at least 80% of assets in bonds, with portfolio composition driven by the fund's active investment process and credit research.
• It's structured as an exchange-traded fund, offering daily liquidity and a competitive yield, with expenses reflected in the net asset value.

The JPMorgan Active Bond ETF (JBND) is designed to deliver returns above the broad U.S. bond market benchmark. The fund leverages active management to dynamically allocate across bond sectors and maturities, aiming to capture value through security selection and tactical positioning. Its competitive yield and diversified exposure make it suitable for investors seeking income and total return in a liquid, transparent vehicle.

What this transaction means for investors

This move matters because it seemingly completes a rotation rather than adding a new sleeve in isolation. While exiting its fallen angel exposure in the same quarter, Peak Financial Advisors reallocated capital toward a more flexible core bond strategy that prioritizes balance over yield chasing.

For context, Fallen angel ETFs are designed to benefit from credit recovery and spread compression, trades that tend to work best early in the cycle. Peak’s decision to sell out of that exposure suggests the easy upside has already been captured. Stepping into an actively managed core bond ETF shifts the focus from recovery beta to security selection, duration management, and downside control. JBND itself reinforces that intent. It runs a diversified portfolio of investment-grade bonds, with an average duration just over six years and a yield profile near the middle of the investment-grade spectrum. Since its inception in late 2023, the fund has outperformed the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index on both absolute and risk-adjusted returns, helped by active positioning across Treasuries, securitized credit, and corporate bonds.

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.