Harris | Oakmark launches two active value ETFs to hunt bargains overseas and worldwide

Two new Oakmark ETFs hit the market — who they are and what they promise

Harris | Oakmark has introduced two actively managed ETFs aimed at value investors: the Harris Oakmark International Value ETF (OAKI) and the Harris Oakmark Global Value ETF (OAKG). The funds launched on December 11, 2025 and listed on a major U.S. exchange, presenting the Oakmark value team’s stock-picking approach in ETF form. OAKI is pitched as a concentrated international value fund focused on developed- and select emerging-market companies outside the U.S.; OAKG positions itself as a global value fund that mixes U.S. and non-U.S. opportunities where the managers see the widest valuation gaps.

What the funds actually are — tickers, objectives and basic mechanics

Here are the core product facts investors need at a glance.

• Tickers and full names: Harris Oakmark International Value ETF (OAKI) and Harris Oakmark Global Value ETF (OAKG).
• Investment objective: Both funds are actively managed to seek long-term capital appreciation by investing in equities that the manager believes are trading below intrinsic value. OAKI concentrates on companies domiciled outside the United States; OAKG invests across markets worldwide, including the U.S.
• Benchmark: Neither fund tracks a passive index; performance will be compared to broad value and regional equity benchmarks but is manager-driven rather than index-linked.
• Management: The ETFs are managed by the Oakmark value team within Harris. Day-to-day portfolio decisions are handled by experienced Oakmark portfolio managers and analysts, using the same value discipline applied in Oakmark mutual funds.
• Fees and seed assets: At launch the funds carry actively managed ETF expense ratios in the mid-range for boutique active products. Each fund was seeded with initial institutional capital to support market-making and liquidity at launch.
• Listing and structure: Both ETFs are U.S.-domiciled and trade as conventional ETF shares on a major U.S. exchange. They use the standard creation/redemption mechanism to allow authorized participants to add or remove shares; shares are issued in a single exchange-traded share class under the tickers above.

How Oakmark plans to find value — method and portfolio posture

The Oakmark approach is familiar: deep, bottom-up stock selection driven by company-level research, conservative accounting analysis and a long-term holding mindset. In plain terms, managers look for profitable businesses whose stock prices the market has unfairly punished, then build a concentrated portfolio of those ideas rather than mirror a value index.

OAKI will tilt toward sectors and countries where non-U.S. valuations are most depressed — think parts of Europe, Japan and selected emerging markets — and will likely carry more currency and country risk as a result. OAKG broadens the opportunity set to include U.S. value names when they meet the team’s price/reward test, so it typically will show a different sector mix and fewer pure country bets than OAKI.

The funds aim for high active share versus passive benchmarks: expect concentrated holdings and noticeable tracking error versus plain-vanilla value indexes. The managers rely on traditional value metrics — discounted cash flow thinking, franchise durability and balance-sheet strength — rather than short-term momentum or factor overlays.

Where these ETFs land among peers and mutual funds

Active ETFs have been one of the fastest-growing corners of the market, and these launches plug two gaps: a boutique value manager’s international offering in ETF wrapper, and a global value option that mixes U.S. and non-U.S ideas. For investors who prefer active stock selection over passive factor exposure, the Oakmark ETFs sit alongside long-standing active mutual funds and a small roster of active international-value ETFs from larger asset managers.

Unlike cheap passive alternatives, Oakmark’s products trade on the manager’s conviction. That differentiates them from index-based value ETFs but also places them in competition with other active managers selling a similar approach — the difference will come down to manager skill, portfolio concentration and fees.

How investors might use OAKI and OAKG in portfolios

These ETFs are built for investors who already believe in value investing and want an active sleeve to tilt international or global equity exposure toward undervalued names. Conservative allocations could use OAKG as a complement to a U.S. core equity holding, while investors seeking foreign value exposure would use OAKI in place of or alongside broad international funds.

Because they are active and concentrated, expect wider intraday spreads at launch and lighter secondary-market liquidity than giant passive ETFs. That argues for limit orders when trading and cautious position sizing until volumes build. For taxable investors, the ETF structure often delivers more favorable tax treatment than mutual funds, but active trading and portfolio churn can still produce capital gains inside the fund.

Where to be cautious — key risks that matter

These are active value funds, which means the greatest risk is that the manager’s calls don’t pay off. Value strategies can underperform for long stretches, particularly when growth stocks dominate markets. OAKI adds country and currency risk from non-U.S. holdings, and both funds can show sizable tracking error relative to market-cap benchmarks.

Operationally, new ETFs typically start with limited liquidity and modest seed capital; early investors may face wider spreads and should expect trading to normalize only as assets and market-making improve. Finally, the concentrated nature of the portfolios means individual stock failures can move performance more than in broader funds.

If you want a concentrated, manager-driven value sleeve and can tolerate volatility and initial liquidity constraints, these Oakmark ETFs provide a familiar value play in an ETF wrapper. If you prefer cheap, highly liquid passive exposure, there are lower-cost alternatives that trade differently and will likely behave differently in both up and down markets.

Sources

• prnewswire.com