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

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/17/2015.

The fund is sponsored by Goldman Sachs Funds. It has amassed assets over $13.46 billion, making it one of the largest 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. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.

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

Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are 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 1.11%.

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.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 32.10% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) accounts for about 6.22% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).

The top 10 holdings account for about 30.83% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

GSLC seeks to match the performance of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity Index before fees and expenses. The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity Index is designed to deliver exposure to equity securities of large-capitalization U.S. issuers.

The ETF has added about 2.71% so far this year and is up roughly 13.85% in the last one year (as of 06/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $97.68 and $120.71.

The ETF has a beta of 0.99 and standard deviation of 17.37% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 445 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, GSLC is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) track a similar index. While SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $613.53 billion in assets, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has $668.17 billion. SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% and VOO charges 0.03%.

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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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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