Is Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSEW) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Making its debut on 09/12/2017, smart beta exchange traded fund Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSEW) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer 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.Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.Fund Sponsor & IndexManaged by Goldman Sachs Funds, GSEW has amassed assets over $862.96 million, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Blend. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Solactive US Large Cap Equal Weight Index.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.Cost & Other ExpensesCost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.09% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.51%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsWhile 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.GSEW's heaviest allocation is in the Industrials sector, which is about 16.60% of the portfolio. Its Information Technology and Financials round out the top three.Looking at individual holdings, Exact Sciences Corp (EXAS) accounts for about 0.22% of total assets, followed by American Electric Power Co Inc (AEP) and Airbnb Inc (ABNB).The top 10 holdings account for about 2.11% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskThe ETF has gained about 16.12% and is up about 30.17% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 09/25/2024), respectively. GSEW has traded between $56.58 and $77.31 during this last 52-week period.The ETF has a beta of 1.05 and standard deviation of 18.02% for the trailing three-year period. With about 495 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesGoldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.IShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) tracks S&P 500 Index and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) tracks S&P 500 Index. IShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $530.83 billion in assets, SPDR S&P 500 ETF has $568.67 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and SPY charges 0.09%.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 - Large Cap Blend.Bottom LineTo 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 Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSEW): ETF Research Reports American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP): Free Stock Analysis Report SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports Exact Sciences Corporation (EXAS): Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks