Should Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 06/28/2017.The fund is sponsored by Goldman Sachs Funds. It has amassed assets over $537.52 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.Why Small Cap BlendThere's a lot of potential to investing in small cap companies, but with market capitalization below $2 billion, that high potential comes with even higher risk.Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.CostsWhen considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.45%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsEven though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 21.50% of the portfolio. Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Jun 25 Cme Eminirus2k (RTYM25) accounts for about 1.20% of total assets, followed by Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (SFM) and Corcept Therapeutics Inc (CORT).The top 10 holdings account for about 5.56% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskGSSC seeks to match the performance of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index before fees and expenses. The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index is designed to deliver exposure to equity securities of small capitalization U.S. issuers.The ETF has lost about -3.87% so far this year and was up about 5.19% in the last one year (as of 06/06/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $55.86 and $76.22.The ETF has a beta of 1.05 and standard deviation of 21.73% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1276 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesGoldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, GSSC is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $61.95 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $77.47 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR charges 0.06%.Bottom-LinePassively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC): ETF Research Reports Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (CORT): Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): ETF Research Reports Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM): Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks