Strive’s Flagship U.S. Energy Fund DRLL Exceeds $300 Million in AUM and $420 million in traded volume Within 3 Weeks of Launch

Rhea-AI Summary

Strive Asset Management has launched the U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE Arca: DRLL), which has surpassed $300 million in assets under management within three weeks. This ETF represents the largest non-seeded launch of 2022, with over $420 million in traded volume. Strive advocates for energy companies to focus exclusively on financially measurable returns, increasing capital investments based on demand, and reevaluating Scope 3 emissions reductions. The ETF aims to engage with over 10 energy firms, highlighting a strong market interest.

Positive

• DRLL has exceeded $300 million in assets under management in its first three weeks.
• The ETF achieved over $420 million in traded volume within the same period.
• Strive has initiated engagements with over 10 U.S. energy companies.
• The ETF represents the largest non-seeded ETF launch in 2022.

Negative

• None.

Strive aims to unlock the potential of the U.S. energy sector by mandating companies to focus on excellence over all other agendas.

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Strive Asset Management announced that its first exchange-traded fund (ETF), the U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE Arca:DRLL), has exceeded $300 million in assets under management¹ and over $420 million in traded volume in its first three full weeks since launch, continuing to represent the largest non-seeded ETF launch in 2022²,³. DRLL is a passively managed U.S. energy index fund that delivers a new "post-ESG" shareholder mandate to U.S. energy companies through shareholder engagement and proxy voting.

Strive Asset Management has initiated engagements with over 10 U.S. energy companies since launch. Strive’s mandates to the U.S. energy sector include:

1. Calling on energy companies to evaluate all current and future internal investments exclusively based on financially measurable returns on investment, without regard to any other social, political, cultural, or environmental goals.
   
   
2. Asking companies to increase their total amounts authorized for capital investments in oil and gas exploration and production in 2023 based on growing domestic and international demand for carbon-based energy, at the discretion of boards to determine the magnitudes of such increases.
   
   
3. Rescinding Scope 3 emissions reductions unless boards demonstrate that Scope 3 emissions reduction commitments increase shareholder value.

“Strive’s message to U.S. energy companies is simple: do what is best for shareholder value,” said Justin Danhof, head of corporate governance at Strive Asset Management. “The energy sector has been very receptive to our message. Their openness to our message shows they want to focus solely on delivering excellent products and leave politics to the politicians. We are excited to deliver this new voice to the industry and look forward to continued engagement in the coming months.”

Over its first three weeks, DRLL’s average trade size was $4,197 per trade. Strive has also received over 465,000 visits to its websites since DRLL launched on August 9, 2022.

About DRLL

The Strive U.S. Energy ETF (DRLL) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of a subset of the Solactive GBS United States 1000 Index (the “Index”) composed of U.S.-listed equities in the energy sector. The Solactive index exhibits 99.7% historical correlation⁴ with BlackRock’s U.S. Energy Index. The Index is represented by securities of companies in the energy industry or sector (oil, coal, and natural gas companies, as well as companies that produce renewable or alternative energy such as hydrogen, nuclear, solar, and wind power).

Investors can learn more at www.strivefunds.com.

About Strive Asset Management

Strive is an Ohio-based asset management firm whose mission is to restore the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence over politics. Strive will compete directly with the world’s largest asset managers by launching funds that advance Excellence Capitalism in boardrooms across corporate America. The company was co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy and Anson Frericks in 2022.

Learn more at www.strive.com.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Solactive AG ("Solactive") is the licensor of The Solactive United States Energy Regulated Capped Index (the "Index"). The financial instruments that are based on the Index are not sponsored, endorsed, promoted or sold by Solactive in any way and Solactive makes no express or implied representation, guarantee or assurance with regard to: (a) the advisability in investing in the financial instruments; (b) the quality, accuracy and/or completeness of the Index; and/or (c) the results obtained or to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of the Index. Solactive reserves the right to change the methods of calculation or publication with respect to the Index. Solactive shall not be liable for any damages suffered or incurred as a result of the use (or inability to use) of the Index.

Solactive United States Energy Regulated Capped Index (the "Index"), which measures the performance of the energy sector of the U.S. equity market as defined by Solactive AG (the "Index Provider" or "Solactive"). The Index includes large, and mid capitalization companies. The Index is a subset of a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index of equity securities comprising the 1,000 largest companies from the US stock market.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call 872-270-5406 or visit our website at www.strivefunds.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Investments involve risk. Principal loss is possible. Energy Sector Risk. The market value of securities in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, among others, changes in energy prices, energy supply and demand, government regulations and energy conservation efforts. Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may be more sensitive to economic, business, political or other changes affecting individual issuers or investments than a diversified fund, which may result in greater fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s Shares and greater risk of loss. Index Calculation Risk. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including fundamental information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision.

ESG investing is defined as utilizing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria as a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments.

Distributed by Quasar Distributors, LLC.

¹ As of market close on 8/29/22 the official closing price of DRLL came in at $28.56 which increased its AUM to $312.7 million with 10.95 million shares created.
² A seed investment into an ETF is defined by a day where the average trade size was greater than $1,000,000 in the first week of trading. For reference, in July 2022 the average trade size was 57,654 for S&P 500 indexed ETFs (SPY, VOO, and IVV) and $9,893 for Energy Sector ETFs (XLE, VDE, and IYE).
³ Bloomberg Finance L.P., Strive Asset Management
⁴ Correlation time period: 6/30/22-7/29/22

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220830005944/en/

Gregory FCA for Strive Asset Management

Sam Marinelli

610-246-9928

strive@gregoryfca.com

Source: Strive Asset Management

FAQ

What is the U.S. Energy ETF (DRLL) and its significance?

The U.S. Energy ETF (DRLL) is an energy index fund launched by Strive Asset Management, which has quickly amassed over $300 million in assets, marking the largest non-seeded ETF launch of 2022.

How much has DRLL traded in volume since its launch?

Since its launch, DRLL has traded over $420 million in volume within the first three weeks.

What mandates does Strive Asset Management impose on energy companies?

Strive mandates that energy companies focus on financially measurable returns on investment, increase capital investments based on demand, and reassess Scope 3 emissions commitments.

When was the U.S. Energy ETF (DRLL) launched?

The U.S. Energy ETF (DRLL) was launched on August 9, 2022.

What was the average trade size for DRLL after its launch?

The average trade size for DRLL in its first three weeks was $4,197 per trade.