On Friday, Lineweaver Wealth Advisors disclosed the sale of 201,311 shares of ISTB worth an estimated $9.8 million based on average prices in the third quarter.
What Happened
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission released on Friday, Lineweaver Wealth Advisors reduced its holding in the iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB 0.11%) by 201,311 shares in the third quarter. The estimated value of the shares sold was approximately $9.8 million, based on the average unadjusted closing price in the period. The fund retains 47,715 shares after the transaction.
What Else to Know
This sale lowered ISTB to 0.3% of the fund’s 13F assets under management as of September 30.
Top holdings after the filing:
- IVV: $65 million (9.5% of AUM)
- FBND: $35.3 million (5.2% of AUM)
- SMTH: $34.6 million (5.1% of AUM)
- AGG: $33.3 million (4.9% of AUM)
- USMV: $29.3 million (4.3% of AUM)
As of Monday morning, ISTB shares were priced at $48.81, up 1.2% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 12 percentage points.
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Assets under management | $4.6 billion |
| Yield TTM | 4.06% |
| Price (as of Monday morning) | $48.81 |
| 1-year total return | 4.5% |
Company Snapshot
- ISTB is a passively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) investing in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds.
- It tracks an index of investment-grade fixed income securities with maturities between one and five years.
- The fund targets institutional and individual investors seeking short-term bond exposure and income.
The iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) is a passively managed fund that invests at least 90% of its assets in fixed income securities included in its index. With a sizable asset base and a diversified portfolio, ISTB offers institutional investors exposure to fixed income.
Foolish Take
Lineweaver Wealth Advisors’ $9.8 million sale of the iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF marks a notable rotation away from this short-term fixed income fund. The move reduced ISTB to just 0.3% of reportable assets, a fraction of Lineweaver’s top positions such as IVV, FBND, and AGG.
ISTB, which carries a 0.06% expense ratio and yields roughly 4%, invests in investment-grade and select high-yield bonds maturing within one to five years. The ETF’s effective duration of 2.6 years and 4.09% yield to maturity make it a conservative income vehicle—one that’s gained just 1% over the past year as investors shift toward riskier assets amid Fed rate-cut expectations.
Relative to the fund’s larger equity stakes, the ISTB reduction potentially reflects a strategic rebalancing toward growth exposure and away from short-duration bonds that have seen muted price appreciation. Still, for risk-averse investors, ISTB remains a low-cost anchor for capital preservation and steady income within diversified portfolios.
Glossary
AUM: Assets Under Management – The total market value of assets a fund or investment manager oversees.
13F assets: Securities and assets reported by institutional investment managers on SEC Form 13F, typically covering U.S. equity holdings.
ETF: Exchange-Traded Fund – An investment fund traded on stock exchanges, holding assets like stocks or bonds.
Dividend yield: The annual dividend income of an investment expressed as a percentage of its current price.
Passively managed fund: A fund that tracks a specific index rather than actively selecting securities.
Fixed income securities: Investments that pay regular interest, such as bonds or Treasury notes.
Annual dividend yield: The total dividends paid over a year divided by the investment's price, shown as a percentage.
Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.
Stake: The amount or percentage of ownership an investor holds in a particular asset or company.
Top holdings: The largest individual investments within a fund's portfolio, usually ranked by value or percentage of AUM.
Underperforming: When an investment delivers a lower return compared to a benchmark or index.
Institutional investors: Organizations like pension funds, mutual funds, or insurance companies that invest large sums of money.
