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Should Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSEW) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSEW - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/12/2017.

The fund is sponsored by Goldman Sachs Funds. It has amassed assets over $279.12 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Blend

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

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.

Costs

Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.09%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.91%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 18.80% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Financials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL - Free Report) accounts for about 0.23% of total assets, followed by Boeing Co (BA - Free Report) and Ford Motor Co (F - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 2.19% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

GSEW seeks to match the performance of the Solactive US Large Cap Equal Weight Index before fees and expenses. The Solactive US Large Cap Equal Weight Index is an equal-weight version of the Solactive US Large Cap Index including equity securities of approximately 500 of the largest U.S. companies.

The ETF has lost about -16.34% so far this year and is down about -8.08% in the last one year (as of 06/16/2020). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $32.44 and $52.88.

The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 23.77% for the trailing three-year period. With about 496 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large 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, GSEW is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

The iShares Core SP 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the SPDR SP 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Core SP 500 ETF has $189.21 billion in assets, SPDR SP 500 ETF has $275.20 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.04% and SPY charges 0.09%.

Bottom-Line

Passively 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.

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