MutualFundWire.com: Westwood Adds a 3rd Enhanced Income ETF

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Monday, December 15, 2025

Westwood Adds a 3rd Enhanced Income ETF

The folks at a publicly traded asset manager in Texas are rolling out another active exchange-traded fund, expanding their $200-million-AUM lineup of ETFs.

On Friday (December 12), Adrian Helfert, chief investment officer of alternative and multi-asset portfolios at Westwood Holdings Group (WHG) [profile], and Brian Casey, CEO of Westwood, unveiled the launch of the Westwood Enhanced Income Opportunity ETF (YLDW on the NYSE Arca). Dallas-based Westwood Management Corp. serves as investment advisor to YLDW, while Alpharetta, Georgia-based Vident Asset Management serves as trading subadvisor.

YLDW's inception date was Thursday (December 11), and the new ETF comes with an expense ratio of 79 basis points. The new fund now has about $2.5 million in AUM.

The PM for YLDW includes six people:

Scott Barnard, senior vice president and fixed income portfolio manager at Westwood;

Yin Bhuyan, senior PM at Vident;

Ben Chittenden, SVP and PM at Westwood;

Jeff Kernagis, senior PM at Vident;

Austin Wen, senior PM at Vident; and

Helfert himself.

Helfert notes that YLDW is the first multi-asset member of Westwood's Enhanced Income Series of ETFs.

"Our team focuses on income-oriented strategies that balance current income generation with prudent risk management," Helfert states. "YLDW leverages this approach while adding an enhanced income component through covered calls — creating a compelling opportunity for investors seeking robust income solutions."

Casey puts the launch of YLTDW in the context of his frim's "commitment to innovation and ... ongoing effort to deliver effective investments that meet evolving market needs."

"YLDW demonstrates our ability to translate successful traditional strategies into modern ETF vehicles that serve both retail and institutional investors," Casey states.

YLDW is an actively managed series of Ultimus Managers Trust. The new ETF's other service providers include:

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (BBH) as custodian and transfer agent;

Cohen & Company, Ltd. as independent accounting firm;

Sullivan & Worcester LLP as counsel;

Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC as administrator;

Ultimus' Northern Lights Distributors, LLC as distributor; and

Ultimus' Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (NLCS) as chief compliance officer provider.