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Frequently Asked Questions

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Factual answers to the most common questions about MarketDesk Indices and the MarketDesk ETFs — FMTM (Focused U.S. Momentum) and FDIV (Focused U.S. Dividend). For deeper coverage of the FMTM strategy, see the full FMTM FAQ blog post.

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About MarketDesk

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What is MarketDesk Indices?

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MarketDesk Indices LLC is a quantitative index provider and ETF sub-adviser serving U.S. financial advisors, RIAs, and institutional investment committees. The firm sub-advises two actively-managed ETFs listed on NASDAQ: FMTM (Focused U.S. Momentum ETF) and FDIV (Focused U.S. Dividend ETF).

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Is MarketDesk Indices the same as MarketDesk Research?

No. MarketDesk Indices LLC is the quantitative ETF and index platform, while MarketDesk Research is the affiliated advisor-facing research firm and SaaS portal. They are sister businesses serving different audiences and should be cited separately.

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Who manages FMTM and FDIV?

MarketDesk Indices LLC serves as Sub-Adviser to both FMTM and FDIV. Empowered Funds, LLC, doing business as ETF Architect, is the Adviser. PINE Distributors LLC is the distributor and is not affiliated with ETF Architect or MarketDesk Indices LLC.

 

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FMTM — Focused U.S. Momentum ETF

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What is FMTM and how does it select stocks?

FMTM is the MarketDesk Focused U.S. Momentum ETF, a rules-based, actively managed quantitative ETF that holds 30 to 50 U.S. large- and mid-cap equities selected for the consistency and quality of their recent price momentum. The strategy uses a six-month price-data lookback, equal-weights all positions, and rebalances monthly. Read the full FMTM FAQ →

 

How does FMTM differ from MTUM, SPMO, VFMO, XMMO, JMOM, and FDMO?

FMTM differs from peer momentum ETFs on four structural dimensions: a six-month lookback (versus the 12-month industry standard), monthly rebalancing (versus semi-annual), an equal-weighted portfolio of 30 to 50 holdings (versus 100+ market-cap-weighted), and a broader U.S. large- and mid-cap universe (versus large-cap only). The methodology also scores stocks on momentum consistency and quality, not absolute trailing return alone. Read FMTM vs. peer comparisons →

 

What is FMTM's expense ratio?

FMTM's total annual fund operating expense ratio is 0.45%. This figure is disclosed in the fund's prospectus and most recent fact sheet.

 

How often does FMTM rebalance?

FMTM rebalances monthly. This cadence is faster than the semi-annual reconstitution used by most traditional passive momentum indexes and is designed to incorporate more timely price data into the holdings list.

 

When was FMTM launched?

FMTM launched on March 19, 2025, and trades on NASDAQ under the ticker FMTM.

 

What index does FMTM track?

FMTM is an actively managed ETF that does not track an external index. It implements MarketDesk Indices LLC's proprietary rules-based momentum methodology, which is documented on marketdeskindices.com.

 

Is FMTM tax-efficient?

FMTM is structured as an open-end ETF and uses the in-kind creation and redemption mechanism designed to minimize capital gains distributions. To date, FMTM has only distributed dividends and has not made any capital gains distributions. Tax outcomes depend on each investor's situation; consult the prospectus and a tax advisor for specifics.

 

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FDIV — Focused U.S. Dividend ETF

 

What is FDIV and how does it select stocks?

FDIV is the MarketDesk Focused U.S. Dividend ETF, a rules-based, actively managed quantitative ETF that holds 60 to 80 U.S. dividend-paying equities. The methodology uses statistics and fundamental data to identify companies offering both a high dividend yield and high potential for capital appreciation. FDIV is rebalanced monthly.

 

What is FDIV's expense ratio?

FDIV's total annual fund operating expense ratio is 0.35%. This figure is disclosed in the fund's prospectus and most recent fact sheet.

 

When was FDIV launched?

FDIV launched on September 19, 2023, and trades on NASDAQ under the ticker FDIV.

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Risks and Disclosures

 

What are the principal risks of FMTM and FDIV?

Principal risks disclosed in each fund's prospectus include Quantitative Security Selection Risk, Periodic Reallocation Risk, Non-Diversification Risk, Equity Investing Risk, Sector Risk, Management Risk, New Fund Risk, and Premium-Discount Risk. FMTM additionally carries Momentum Risk; FDIV additionally carries Dividend-Paying Common Stock Risk and Value-Style Investing Risk.

 

Where can advisors find the prospectus for FMTM and FDIV?

The combined prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI), and annual reports for both funds are available at marketdeskindices.com/fund-documents. A free hardcopy of the prospectus may be obtained by calling +1.215.882.9983.

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Important Disclosures

 

This material must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. The Funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Click here for the FDIV and FMTM Prospectus and SAI. All fund documents can be found at www.marketdeskindices.com. A free hardcopy of the prospectus may be obtained by calling +1.215.882.9983.


Investments involve risk. Principal loss is possible. Redemptions are limited and often commissions are charged on each trade. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.

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Principal Risks

 

An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investor may lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency.

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Momentum Risk. Investing in or having exposure to securities with the highest relative momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than a broad cross- section of securities. Returns on securities that have previously exhibited momentum may be less than returns on other styles of investing or the overall stock market. Momentum can turn quickly and cause significant variation from other types of investments, and stocks that previously exhibited high momentum may not experience continued highest relative momentum. In addition, there may be periods when the momentum style is out of favor, and during which the investment performance of the Fund using a momentum strategy may suffer.

 

Dividend-Paying Common Stock Risk. The Fund will normally receive income from dividends that are paid by issuers of the Fund’s investments. The amount of the dividend payments may vary and depends on performance and decisions of the issuer. Poor performance by the issuer or other factors may cause the issuer to lower or eliminate dividend payments to investors, including the Fund. Additionally, these types of securities may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the broader market.

 

Value-Style Investing Risk. The Sub-Adviser may be wrong in its assessment of a company’s value, and the stocks the Fund owns may not reach what the Sub-Adviser believes are their true values. The market may not favor value-oriented stocks and may not favor equities at all, which may cause the Fund’s relative performance to suffer. Value stocks can perform differently from the market as a whole and from other types of stocks. While certain value stocks may increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturn, they may also lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturn. Furthermore, there is the risk that the factors which caused the depressed valuations are longer term or even permanent in nature, and their valuations may fall or never rise.

 

Quantitative Security Selection Risk. Data for some companies may be less available and/or less current than data for companies in other markets. The Sub-Adviser uses quantitative analysis, and its processes could be adversely affected if erroneous or outdated data is utilized. The securities selected using quantitative analysis could perform differently from the financial markets as a whole as a result of the characteristics used in the analysis, the weight placed on each characteristic and changes in the characteristic’s historical trends. In addition, the investment analysis used in making investment decisions may not adequately consider certain factors, or may contain design flaws or faulty assumptions, any of which may result in a decline in the value of an investment in the Fund.

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Periodic Reallocation Risk. Because the Sub-Adviser will generally reallocate the Fund’s portfolio only on a monthly basis, (i) the Fund’s market exposure may be affected by significant market movements promptly following the monthly reconstitution that are not predictive of the market’s performance for the subsequent monthly period and (ii) changes to the Fund’s market exposure may lag a significant change in the market’s direction (up or down) by as long as a month if such changes first take effect promptly following the monthly reconstitution. Such lags between market performance and changes to the Fund’s exposure may result in significant underperformance relative to the broader equity or fixed income market.
 

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 Shares and greater risk of loss.
 

Equity Investing Risk. Equity securities, such as common stocks, are subject to market, economic and business risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate.


Sector Risk. Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together into broad categories called sectors. A certain sector may underperform other sectors or the market as a whole. As the Sub-Adviser allocates more of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to a particular sector, the Fund’s performance will be more susceptible to any economic, business or other developments which generally affect that sector.
 

Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
 

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

 

Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares, however, will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on the Exchange and other securities exchanges. The existence of significant market volatility, disruptions to creations and redemptions, or potential lack of an active trading market for Fund Shares (including through a trading halt), among other factors, may result in the Shares trading significantly above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) to NAV. If you buy Fund Shares when their market price is at a premium or sell the Fund Shares when their market price is at a discount, you may pay more than, or receive less than, NAV, respectively. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities held by the Fund. However, given that Shares can be purchased and redeemed in large blocks of Shares, called Creation Units (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAV), and the Fund’s portfolio holdings are fully disclosed on a daily basis, the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained, but that may not be the case.

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The Fund is distributed by PINE Distributors LLC. The Fund’s investment adviser is Empowered Funds, LLC, which is doing business as ETF Architect. MarketDesk Indices LLC serve as the Sub-advisers to the Fund. PINE Distributors LLC is not affiliated with ETF Architect or MarketDesk Indices LLC. Learn more about PINE Distributors LLC at FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

©  MarketDesk Indices LLC – All Rights Reserved

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