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Is Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC - Free Report) was launched on 06/28/2017, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Goldman Sachs Funds. GSSC has been able to amass assets over $1.06 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Blend. GSSC, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index.
The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index is designed to deliver exposure to equity securities of small capitalization U.S. issuers.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.07%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
GSSC's heaviest allocation is in the Healthcare sector, which is about 21.7% of the portfolio. Its Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Cmrc/cme Eminirus2k 9/2026 (RTYU6) accounts for about 1.51% of the fund's total assets, followed by 10x Genomics Inc (TXG) and Caredx Inc. (CDNA).
GSSC's top 10 holdings account for about 4.75% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 16.84% so far this year and it's up approximately 18.48% in the last one year (as of 09/18/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $70.21 and $92.67
GSSC has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 19.99% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1416 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) tracks Russell 2000 Index and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Index. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $79.03 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $105.69 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR changes 0.06%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Small Cap Blend
Bottom Line
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.
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Is Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (GSSC - Free Report) was launched on 06/28/2017, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by Goldman Sachs Funds. GSSC has been able to amass assets over $1.06 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Blend. GSSC, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index.
The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index is designed to deliver exposure to equity securities of small capitalization U.S. issuers.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.07%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.
GSSC's heaviest allocation is in the Healthcare sector, which is about 21.7% of the portfolio. Its Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Cmrc/cme Eminirus2k 9/2026 (RTYU6) accounts for about 1.51% of the fund's total assets, followed by 10x Genomics Inc (TXG) and Caredx Inc. (CDNA).
GSSC's top 10 holdings account for about 4.75% of its total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has gained about 16.84% so far this year and it's up approximately 18.48% in the last one year (as of 09/18/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $70.21 and $92.67
GSSC has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 19.99% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1416 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) tracks Russell 2000 Index and the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Index. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has $79.03 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has $105.69 billion. IWM has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJR changes 0.06%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Small Cap Blend
Bottom Line
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.