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Is Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF (GSWO) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Global Large-Cap Blend Equity ETF category of the market, the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF (GSWO - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 03/15/2022.

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.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

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.

The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Goldman Sachs Funds. It has amassed assets over $1.77 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Global Large-Cap Blend Equity ETF. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the GOLDMAN SACHS ACTIVEBETA WORLD EQ INDEX .

The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity Index seeks to deliver exposure to large and mid-capitalization equity securities of developed market issuers, including the United States.

Cost & Other Expenses

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for GSWO are 0.15%, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.46%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Looking at individual holdings, Nvidia Corporation (NVDA) accounts for about 6.06% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT).

The top 10 holdings account for about 28.62% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 8.64% and it's up approximately 0% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 10/26/2026), respectively. GSWO has traded between $54.73 and $66.26 during this last 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.74 and standard deviation of 0.00% for the trailing three-year period. With about 758 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Global Large-Cap Blend Equity ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

iShares Global 100 ETF (IOO) tracks S&P Global 100 Index and the iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) tracks MSCI All Country World Index. iShares Global 100 ETF has $9.17 billion in assets, iShares MSCI ACWI ETF has $32.43 billion. IOO has an expense ratio of 0.40% and ACWI changes 0.32%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Global Large-Cap Blend Equity ETF

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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