Amidst the proliferating exchange-traded fund (ETF) market, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) has made significant strides in simplifying investment options for advisors and investors. In a focused conversation with Wealth Advisor Managing Editor Scott Martin, Brendan McCarthy, Head of ETF Specialists & Capital Markets at GSAM, discusses the nuances that make its ETF solutions a cut above the standard offerings in the market.
GSAM aims to streamline investing with its ETFs. McCarthy emphasizes the firm’s motto since the inception of its ETF business: “Smart investments made simple.” GSAM crafts solutions that are both innovative and transparent, shunning the complexity that often clouds financial instruments. This simplification is encapsulated in its approach whereby one ticker symbol from the GSAM ETF suite can cater to a multitude of investment scenarios.
Thoughtful construction can help diversify a portfolio. McCarthy outlines that GSAM’s ETFs are not intended to replace a client’s entire portfolio but are designed as “portfolio building blocks.” These blocks are part of a holistic multi-asset suite that includes both smart beta products for equity and fixed income, known as the active beta suite and access suite, respectively. This diversified set of offerings provides advisors the flexibility to accommodate different client needs and navigate various market conditions without the need to start from scratch.
GSAM is focused on tailoring solutions for advisory needs. Addressing the advisory community directly, McCarthy sheds light on common problems that advisors face and how GSAM’s products offer targeted solutions. He highlights his firm’s multifactor suite as a response to the market’s demand for multifactor investing strategies.
Additionally, GSAM has recognized a growing trend toward micro-investing and the need for access to active management. In response, GSAM has positioned itself to provide advisors with access to its top-tier active management capabilities.
Risk and return considerations are also always top of mind. Recognizing that some investors are seeking higher-return profiles, even at the expense of taking on additional risk, McCarthy suggests that opportunities exist for incorporating a selection of GSAM’s ETFs into investment portfolios.
He specifically points to the firm’s recently launched premium income products—the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Core Premium Income ETF (ticker GPIX) and the Nasdaq-100 Core Premium Income ETF (ticker GPIQ). These products aim to blend the benefits of index investing with an actively managed options overlay, designed to generate stable income while still allowing for capital growth.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management remains committed to innovating in the ETF space with a keen focus on simplicity and transparency. For RIAs and BD advisors, GSAM’s product suite promises to deliver smart investment strategies in user-friendly formats.
As the ETF market evolves, GSAM’s offerings could serve as a template for the future of investment product development, blending traditional approaches with the flexibility needed for modern portfolio construction.
