--- title: "Small-Cap Alpha Hunt Revives As Acuitas Enters ETF Arena With Active Bet" description: "Acuitas Investments has launched its first small-cap active ETF, the Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF (NASDAQ:AIMS), targeting long-term capital appreciation with a focus on U.S. small-cap equities. The E" type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/275537710.md" published_at: "2026-02-10T23:48:42.000Z" --- # Small-Cap Alpha Hunt Revives As Acuitas Enters ETF Arena With Active Bet > Acuitas Investments has launched its first small-cap active ETF, the Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF (NASDAQ:AIMS), targeting long-term capital appreciation with a focus on U.S. small-cap equities. The ETF employs a multi-manager structure to blend strategies and aims for below-average volatility compared to the broader small-cap category. Benchmarking against the Russell 2000 Index, Acuitas emphasizes active management to capture emerging growth opportunities in small caps, citing favorable market conditions and increasing investor interest in innovation. **Acuitas Investments** has entered the ETF market with the launch of the **Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF (NASDAQ:AIMS)**, an actively managed fund targeting long-term capital appreciation through investments primarily in U.S. small-cap equities. **• AMIS stock is taking a breather. Where is AMIS stock headed?** The ETF employs a multi-manager structure, with Acuitas allocating capital among a curated group of institutional investment managers. The firm says the approach is designed to blend complementary strategies, potentially improving consistency across market cycles while helping manage the volatility often associated with smaller-cap stocks. AIMS is benchmarked to the **Russell 2000 Index**, a widely followed gauge of U.S. small-cap performance. The fund aims to maintain authentic small-cap exposure, including selective allocations to microcap companies, while avoiding upward drift into larger-cap stocks — a common issue in some small-cap strategies. Acuitas founder and Portfolio Manager **Chris Tessin** said the firm sees a favorable backdrop for small caps, pointing to rising earnings expectations, the potential impact of lower interest rates, regulatory tailwinds, and increasing investor attention on innovation led by smaller companies. He argued that active management may be particularly valuable in this segment, where broad index approaches can overlook emerging growth opportunities. Partner and Portfolio Manager **Matt Nieman** added that the strategy focuses on identifying managers with disciplined, differentiated processes and long-term investment horizons, while aiming for a below-average volatility profile compared with the broader small-cap category. The launch comes amid continued growth in actively managed ETFs, especially in areas where investors believe skilled stock selection can add value beyond passive exposure. Small-cap equities have historically been viewed as one such segment due to their diversity, lower analyst coverage, and higher dispersion in returns. For Acuitas, whose institutional roots lie in small- and microcap investing, AIMS represents both an expansion into the ETF wrapper and an effort to broaden access to its specialized investment approach for a wider investor base. *Photo: Shutterstock* ### Related Stocks - [UWM.US - ProShares Ultra Russell2000 ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/UWM.US.md) - [VTWG.US - Vanguard Russell 2000 Growth](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VTWG.US.md) - [AFSC.US - abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AFSC.US.md) - [TNA.US - Direxion Small Cap Bull 3X](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TNA.US.md) - [RSSL.US - Global X Russell 2000 ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RSSL.US.md) - [IWO.US - ISHRS Russ 2000 Growth](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IWO.US.md) - [SMDV.US - Pro Rsl 2000 Dvd Grw](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SMDV.US.md) - [ASCI.US - abrdn International Small Cap Active ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ASCI.US.md) - [VTWV.US - Vanguard Russell 2000 Value](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VTWV.US.md) - [VTWO.US - Vanguard Russell 2000](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VTWO.US.md) ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | Small Caps Are Finally Waking Up — And It's Sending A Big Macro Signal | Small-cap stocks are outperforming after years of lagging, indicating a potential shift in market leadership. The iShare | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276072219.md) | | LIVE MARKETS-Benchmark Treasury yield: Traders still braced for what could be a big move | US equity index futures are up, with the Russell 2000 rising ~0.8%. Initial jobless claims were reported at 227k, above | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275767859.md) | | Canada's Russel Metals Q4 revenue misses expectations | Russel Metals reported Q4 revenue that fell short of analyst expectations, with a revenue increase of 5% year-over-year, | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275666471.md) | | The stock market just did something it hasn't done since 1996. History says this happens next. | Small-cap stocks just beat large-cap stocks for 14 straight days. | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/273650094.md) | | Russell 2000 Earnings Dashboard 25Q4 - Thursday, Jan. 22 | The Russell 2000 Earnings Dashboard for Q4 25 shows a year-over-year blended earnings growth estimate of 63.3%, rising t | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/273420361.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.