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<h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li><p>Opes Wealth Management fully exited its position in the First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) during the first quarter of 2026.</p></li><li><p>Opes sold 210,085 shares at an estimated trade value of $9.3 million, based on quarterly average pricing.</p></li><li><p>After the sale, FIXD now represents 0% of Opes' assets under management (AUM).</p></li><li>10 stocks we like better than First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII - First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF ›</li></ul><h2 id="what-happened">What happened</h2><p>According to a recent SEC filing, Opes Wealth Management LLC sold its entire position in <strong>First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF</strong> <span class="ticker">(NASDAQ:FIXD)</span>, reducing its holdings by 210,085 shares during the first quarter of 2026. The estimated value of the trade was $9.3 million, based on quarterly average pricing.</p><h2 id="what-else-to-know">What else to know</h2><ul><li>Opes Wealth Management LLC fully exited FIXD, leaving the ETF at 0% of its 13F AUM post-trade, down from 1.5% the prior quarter.</li><li>Top holdings after the filing:<ul><li>NASDAQ: AAPL: $92.41 million (15.8% of AUM)</li><li>NYSEMKT: FNDF: $34.93 million (6.0% of AUM)</li><li>NYSEMKT: CMF: $26.61 million (4.5% of AUM)</li><li>NASDAQ: GILD: $23.64 million (4.0% of AUM)</li><li>NYSEMKT: FNDB: $20.26 million (3.5% of AUM)</li></ul></li><li>As of April 27, 2026, FIXD shares were trading at $43.73, up about 5% over the past year, trailing the S&amp;P 500 by roughly 24 percentage points</li></ul><h2 id="etf-overview">ETF overview</h2><section><table><tbody><tr><th>Metric</th><th>Value</th></tr><tr><td>AUM</td><td>$3.4 billion</td></tr><tr><td>Expense ratio</td><td>0.65%</td></tr><tr><td>Dividend yield</td><td>4.64%</td></tr><tr><td>1-year return (as of 4/27/26)</td><td>5.23%</td></tr></tbody></table></section><h2 id="etf-snapshot">ETF snapshot</h2><p>The First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) is a large-scale bond fund with $3.4 billion in assets under management.</p><ul><li>Seeks to maximize long-term total return by investing at least 80% of assets in fixed income securities.</li><li>Emphasizes flexibility in sector allocation and duration positioning, aiming to capture income and capital appreciation opportunities across the bond market.</li><li>Targets both institutional and retail investors seeking diversified bond exposure paired with a competitive dividend yield.</li></ul><h2 id="what-this-transaction-means-for-investors">What this transaction means for investors</h2><p>When a fund fully exits a position, it can feel more dramatic than it is -- especially when that position represented just 1.5% of the portfolio to begin with. Context, as always, matters.</p><p>Fixed income has faced a challenging environment as interest rates remain elevated, and FIXD's 5.2% one-year return -- while positive -- has badly lagged the broader equity market. For a wealth manager like Opes, which now holds <strong>Apple</strong> <span class="ticker">(NASDAQ:AAPL)</span> at nearly 16% of its portfolio, this sell suggests a continued conviction in equities over bonds at this stage of the market cycle.</p><p>That said, investors shouldn't read this as a blanket indictment of fixed income. FIXD's 4.6% annualized dividend yield remains genuinely attractive for income-focused investors, particularly those seeking to reduce equity risk or generate steady cash flow. The fund's flexible, multi-sector bond approach also gives it tools to adapt as the rate environment evolves.</p><p>For retail investors watching institutional moves, the key takeaway here is context: Opes Wealth runs a heavily equity-oriented book, so shedding a small fixed-income position looks less like a warning and more like a portfolio that was already leaning towards growth -- and simply decided to lean further in that direction. </p><p>Bottom line: The broader fixed income market has had a tough run against equities, and Opes Wealth's decision to exit FIXD looks like one more data point in that story.</p><h2>Should you buy stock in First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII - First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF right now?</h2>
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FIXD

<p>Opes Wealth Management has completely exited its position in the First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD), selling 210,085 shares valued at approximately $9.3 million in Q1 2026. This sale reduced FIXD's representation in Opes' assets under management to 0%, down from 1.5% in the previous quarter. The move reflects a strategic shift towards equities, particularly as fixed income struggles in a high-interest rate environment. Despite this exit, FIXD's 4.6% annualized dividend yield remains appealing for income-focused investors.</p>

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Opes Wealth Sells Its Entire FIXD Stake -- Is This $9.3 Million Bond ETF Exit A Signal?