Akre Focus ETF (AKRE)
ARCA ARCA Primary 
AKRE: A Hold As Performance Surprises On The Upside, Yet Concerns Remain
I maintain the Hold rating on the Akre Focus ETF. AKRE has surprised on the upside since my May article, outperforming the S&P 500 against a rather challenging backdrop, chiefly thanks to its application software picks. AKRE's portfolio of 17 stocks has demonstrated slight improvements in terms of growth, GARP, and quality characteristics, which is encouraging but insufficient for a rating upgrade.
Akre Focus ETF Q1 2026 Commentary
The Akre Focus ETF's first quarter 2026 performance was -19.40% compared with the S&P 500 Total Return of -4.33%, primarily driven by severe valuation multiple contraction. The gap between growth expectations and the Akre Focus ETF's valuation reached its widest point since September 2016, making valuation a potential tailwind for returns. Akre Capital sees large-language models and AI-based coding tools as important sources of value enhancement for high-quality incumbent software and information services businesses at a manageable cost.
