MutualFundWire.com: Horizon Makes a $101MM-AUM, 9-Fund Push Into ETF World

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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Horizon Makes a $101MM-AUM, 9-Fund Push Into ETF World

A familiar new ETF chief has spearheaded a 30-year-old, Southeastern investment strategist's 9-fund push into the ETF space over the past six months.

Since late January, the Horizon Investments [profile] team has rolled out their first nine ETFs, with seven of them debuting within a recent three-week window. Tbe Charlotte, North Carolina-based firm, in addition to its traditional mutual funds and other offerings, now has a $101.058-million-AUM* ETF business, with Horizon itself as the ETFs' investment advisor and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC as subadvisor.

Horizon's ETF effort is spearheaded by six-year company veteran Clark Allen. Allen, formerly director of quantitative research, was promoted to head of ETFs back in January when Horizon's first two ETFs debuted.

Horizon's ETF lineup now includes:

the Horizon Core Bond ETF (BNDY on the Cboe BZX);

the Horizon Core Equity ETF (STOX on the Cboe BZX);

the Horizon Digital Frontier ETF (YNOT on the Nasdaq);

the Horizon Dividend Income ETF (DIVN on the Cboe BZX);

the Horizon Expedition Plus ETF (HBTA on the NYSE Arca);

the Horizon Flexible Income ETF (FLXN on the Cboe BZX);

the Horizon Landmark ETF (BENJ on the NYSE Arca);

the Horizon Managed Risk ETF (SFTY on the Cboe BZX); and

the Horizon Nasdaq-100 Defined Risk ETF (QGRD on the Nasdaq).

"In six months, we've developed a suite of ETF solutions that cover a wide range of strategies while maintaining our goals-based framework," states Jon Drahzal, president and CEO of Horizon.

Drahzal adds that Horizon's funds "offer advisors greater flexibility to build customized solutions that address today's toughest portfolio construction challenges." The Horizon team describes their ETFs as being powered by "flexible, outcome-oriented strategies."

QGRD and YNOT launched on July 9, 2025. BNDY and FLXN launched one week earlier, on July 2. DIVN, SFTY, and STOX launched one week before that, on June 25. And BENJ and HBTA launched five months before that, on January 22.

BENJ comes with an expense ratio of 40 basis points. The fund now has about $58.532 million in AUM*.

HBTA comes with an expense ratio of 85bps. The fund now has about $37.475 million in AUM*.

QGRD also comes with an expense ratio of 85bps. The fund now has about $1.499 million in AUM*.

STOX comes with an expense ratio of 70bps. The fund now has about $1.027 million in AUM*.

SFTY comes with an expense ratio of 77bps. The fund now has about $513,000 in AUM*.

DIVN comes with an expense ratio of 70bps. The fund now has about $510,000 in AUM*.

YNOT comes with an expense ratio of 75bps. The fund now has about $506,000 in AUM*.

FLXN comes with an expense ratio of 80bps. The fund now has about $500,000 in AUM*.

BNDY comes with an expense ratio of 65bps. The fund now has about $496,000 in AUM*.

The PM team for Horizon's ETFs includes:

Mike Dickson, head of research and quantitative strategies at Horizon;

Zachary Hill, head of portfolio management;

Scott Ladner, chief investment officer of Horizon; and

Allen himself.

Allen and Ladner appear to PM all nine ETFs. Hill PMs all except HBTA, while Dickson PMs all except BENJ.

All nine of Horizon's ETFs are actively managed series of Horizon Funds, and YNOT is non-diversified. The nine ETFs' other service providers include:

Cohen & Company, Ltd. as independent accounting firm;

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP as counsel;

ACA Foreside's Quasar Distributors, LLC as distributor;

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

U.S. Bank, N.A. as custodian and securities lending agent.