BlueStem Buys $10 Million of VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF
Key Points
BlueStem bought 209,508 shares of USTB in the fourth quarter.
The firm held a position in USTB valued at $10.6 million at the end of the quarter.
The transaction represents a 1.2% change in 13F reportable assets under management (AUM).
USTB is a new position, representing 1.2% of AUM, which places it outside BlueStem's top five holdings.
- 10 stocks we like better than Victory Portfolios II - VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF ›
BlueStem Wealth Partners, LLC initiated a new position in VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF (NASDAQ:USTB) during the fourth quarter.
What happened
According to an SEC filing dated February 06, 2026, BlueStem Wealth Partners, LLC purchased 209,508 shares of USTB in the quarter. The estimated transaction value was $10.6 million, based on the average trading price during the quarter.
What else to know
- This was a new position, now representing 1.2% of BlueStem Wealth Partners' 13F reportable AUM as of Dec. 31, 2025.
- Top holdings after the filing:
- NYSEMKT:SCHG: $92 million (10.2% of AUM)
- NYSEMKT:SCHF: $82 million (9.1% of AUM)
- NYSEMKT:DYNF: $71 million (7.8% of AUM)
- NYSEMKT:RECS: $55 million (6.0% of AUM)
- NYSEMKT:FNDX: $53 million (5.9% of AUM)
- As of Feb. 5, 2026, USTB shares were priced at $51.08, with a one-year total return of 5.91%, trailing the S&P 500 by 7.7 percentage points.
- USTB carried a 4.58% dividend yield as of Feb. 5, 2026, and was 0.15% below its 52-week high.
ETF overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Net assets | $1.7 billion |
| Price (as of market close 2/5/26) | $51.08 |
| Dividend yield | 4.58% |
| 1-year total return | 5.91% |
ETF snapshot
- The investment strategy focuses on short-term debt securities, maintaining a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of three years or less to manage interest rate risk and generate income.
- The portfolio is primarily composed of corporate and U.S. Treasury bonds, and it may allocate up to 20% of its assets to high-yield corporate bonds.
- Structured as an exchange-traded fund, the vehicle provides daily liquidity for investors seeking short-duration fixed-income exposure.
VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF (USTB) is a fixed-income ETF with $1.7 billion in net assets, designed to offer diversified exposure to short-term bonds. The fund’s disciplined approach targets securities with maturities of three years or less, balancing yield and risk. With a competitive dividend yield and a focus on liquidity, USTB is positioned as a core holding for investors seeking stability and income in their fixed income allocation.
What this transaction means for investors
BlueStem holds a large portfolio of low-cost ETFs. In the fourth quarter, it added to several of its larger positions, including those focused on large-cap growth, international stocks, and short-term bonds.
USTB is a quality bond fund for investors looking to earn a high yield on uninvested cash. It pays a high yield of over 4.5%, which may look attractive to investors wanting to keep some money on the sidelines right now.
After three years of strong stock market returns, the Federal Reserve is starting to lean toward rate cuts to stimulate the economy. This could favor buying bonds, although investors looking to profit from interest rate swings will likely favor long-term bond funds rather than USTB, which is less sensitive to rate swings given the short-term duration of its portfolio.
Should you buy stock in Victory Portfolios II - VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF right now?
Before you buy stock in Victory Portfolios II - VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Victory Portfolios II - VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $420,864!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,182,210!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 903% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of February 25, 2026.
John Ballard 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.
Recommended Articles
