MutualFundWire.com: Jablonski Targets a Texas Energy Co

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Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Jablonski Targets a Texas Energy Co

The team at a seven-year-old Florida boutique and a Wisconsin ETF-in-a-box shop are partnering again, this time on a leveraged single-stock fund focused on a Lone Star State electricity and natural gas provider.

Sylvia M. Jablonski Kampaktsis
Defiance ETFs
CEO, Chief Investment Officer

This morning, Sylvia Jablonski, CEO of Defiance ETFs [profile], unveiled the launch of the Defiance Daily Target 2X Long VST ETF (VSTL on the Nasdaq). Milwaukee-based Tidal Investments LLC serves as investment advisor to the new ETF, while Miami-based Defiance Group Holdings LLC serves as sponsor.

VSTL's inception date was yesterday (July 21). The new fund comes with an expense ratio of 131 basis points.

The Defiance team previously planned to use VSTY as the new ETF's ticker, per a March 11 filing. Yet on July 11 they switched the ticker to VSTL.

VSTL's PM team includes two Tidal portfolio managers, Qiao Duan and Christopher Mullen.

The new ETF is designed to offer investors twice the daily returns of Vistra Corp. (VST on the NYSE).

Jablonski puts the launch of VSTL in the context of "Defiance's continued commitment to pioneering leveraged ETFs that give investors amplified access to transformative companies."

"Vistra's pivotal role in the energy transition makes VSTL a timely addition to our lineup, allowing active investors to pursue high-growth strategies in resilient sectors," Jablonski states.

VSTL is an actively managed, non-diversified series of Tidal Trust II. The new ETF's other service providers include:

Cohen & Company, Ltd. as independent accounting firm;

ACA's Foreside Fund Services, LLC as distributor;

Sullivan & Worcester LLP as counsel;

Tidal ETF Services LLC as administrator;

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (dba U.S. Bank Global Fund Services as fund accountant, sub-administrator, and transfer agent; and

U.S. Bank National Association as custodian.