At a glance
GXUS charges 0.18% a year, above the 0.09% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 8th cheapest of 9). It has $647.2M in assets, the 9th largest of that group; it paid 2.61% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +14.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 3rd of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +21.1% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 14.8% of the fund, out of 2,579 in all.
The short version
Goldman Sachs MarketBeta Total International Equity ETF (GXUS) is an index fund that tracks the Solactive GBS Global Markets ex United States Large & Mid Cap Index. That index holds large and mid-sized companies in developed and emerging markets outside the US, weighted by market value. The fund's 0.18% expense ratio is double the 0.09% average of similar funds. It is also much smaller and younger than they are, having launched in May 2023.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
GXUS +14.3% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GXUS official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +5.38% | — | — | — | +8.52% |
| GXUS price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +12.5% | +14.3% | +21.1% | — | — | +15.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, GXUS returned +14.3%, 3rd of 9 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (+4.6%); its best was 2025 (+31.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 13.9% (Sep 26, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by May 2, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +12.5% | — |
| 2025 | +31.4% | — |
| 2024 | +4.6% | +5.38% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.2200 | |
| 2025 | $1.4800 | +18.4% |
| 2024 | $1.2500 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 2,579 securities; the ten largest made up 14.83% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD | 4.58% | |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 2.23% | |
| SK HYNIX INC | 1.74% | |
| ASML HOLDING NV | 1.62% | |
| TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD | 0.90% | |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC | 0.90% | |
| ROCHE HOLDING AG Preferred stock | 0.77% | |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA | 0.72% | |
| NOVARTIS AG | 0.70% | |
| ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD | 0.67% | |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP INC | 0.66% | |
| SHELL PLC | 0.64% | |
| NESTLE' SA/AG | 0.63% | |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC | 0.61% | |
| SIEMENS AG | 0.60% |
By country
Japan 15.32%Taiwan 8.76%Canada 8.1%United Kingdom 7.75%South Korea 6.6%By asset type
Stocks 97.76%Preferred stock 1.69%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $2.4M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -0.76%, +0.30%, +2.57%.
How it works
GXUS aims to match the Solactive GBS Global Markets ex United States Large & Mid Cap Index, which Solactive AG owns and calculates. The index covers roughly the largest 85% of the free-float market value of stock markets outside the US. Free float counts only the shares that public investors can actually trade. Bigger companies get bigger weights. As of December 1, 2025, the index held 3,148 stocks from dozens of developed and emerging countries, from Japan and Canada to India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
Solactive rebuilds the index twice a year, in May and November. It adds newly listed companies in February and August. The fund must keep at least 80% of its assets in index securities, but it may hold a sample rather than every stock. As of August 31, 2026, it owned 2,579 securities. Annual portfolio turnover was 5%. Because the fund is passive, it generally keeps a struggling company until the index drops it.
Goldman Sachs also manages the fund with taxes in mind. The prospectus lists three methods: using in-kind redemptions to move stocks out of the fund without selling them, selling some positions at a loss to offset gains, and choosing which tax lots to sell. The aim is to reduce taxable capital gain payouts to shareholders. The prospectus says there is no guarantee these steps will work.
What it really costs
- GXUS charges 0.18% a year, versus an average of 0.09% for the similar funds below (8th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $18 in the first year and $230 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GXUS | $18 | $58 | $101 | $230 |
In a retirement portfolio
It spreads money across about 2,579 large and mid-sized companies outside the US, so it could serve as the international stock portion of a portfolio.
GXUS has a short record. It launched in May 2023, so it was not around for the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns. Its weakest calendar year was 2024, which was still a 4.6% gain on a price basis. Its deepest drop was 13.9%, from September 26, 2024, to April 8, 2025, and it recovered by May 2, 2025. That history does not show how the fund would hold up in a long bear market. This matters for anyone who may need to sell shares in a bad year.
The trailing 12-month yield was 2.61% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.18% expense ratio is twice the 0.09% peer average. Under the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $230 over 10 years. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want one fund covering large and mid-sized stocks in both developed and emerging markets outside the US, with about 2,579 holdings.
- Taxable-account investors who value the fund's stated tax-management steps, such as in-kind redemptions and loss harvesting, though the prospectus says results aren't guaranteed.
- People comfortable with modest quarterly income: the trailing 12-month yield was 2.61% as of October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.18% expense ratio ranks 8th of 9 among similar funds, against 0.05% for VXUS and 0.04% for VEU.
- Investors who want a long track record: the fund launched in May 2023 and has no history through the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns.
- Investors who want small-company exposure, since the index covers only large and mid caps, roughly the largest 85% of free-float market value.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GXUS this fund | — | 0.18% | $647.2M | +14.3% | +21.1% |
| VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund | 73% | 0.04% | $95.84B | +13.4% | +20.6% |
| IXUS iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock… | 71% | 0.07% | $58.39B | +13.8% | +19.5% |
| VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | 68% | 0.05% | $645.86B | +12.9% | +20.3% |
| SCHF Schwab International Equity ETF | 63% | 0.06% | $69.68B | +17.7% | +20.4% |
| VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 61% | 0.03% | $316.42B | +16.8% | +21.7% |
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 50% | 0.32% | $77.98B | +13.5% | +18.2% |
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 50% | 0.07% | $190.11B | +13.7% | +18.5% |
Questions investors ask
Is GXUS good for retirement?
It can fill the international stock part of a retirement portfolio, but it has drawbacks. It holds about 2,579 companies outside the US across developed and emerging markets. However, it charges 0.18% a year, double the 0.09% average of similar funds. It launched in May 2023, so it has never been through a major bear market. Its deepest drop so far was 13.9%, from September 2024 to April 2025, and it recovered by May 2, 2025.
What's the difference between GXUS and VEU?
Both are broad index funds of stocks outside the US, and they overlap by 73% based on their latest holdings reports. GXUS tracks a Solactive index. VEU is the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund. The biggest difference is cost: 0.18% for GXUS against 0.04% for VEU. VEU returned 13.4% over one year and 20.6% a year over three years as of October 30, 2026. GXUS returned 14.3% and 21.1% as of October 27, 2026.
Does GXUS pay dividends?
Yes. GXUS pays dividends quarterly, passing along the dividends paid by the foreign companies it holds. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $1.60 per share, a trailing yield of 2.61%. Payouts can change from quarter to quarter. They depend on what the underlying companies pay and on exchange rates, because the dividends are earned in foreign currencies and converted to US dollars.
What are GXUS top holdings?
As of August 31, 2026, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing was the largest holding at 4.6%. Next came Samsung Electronics at 2.2%, SK Hynix at 1.7%, ASML at 1.6% and Tencent at 0.9%. HSBC, Roche, Royal Bank of Canada, Novartis and Alibaba rounded out the top 10. The top 10 made up only 14.8% of assets. By country, Japan was the largest weight at 15.3%, followed by Taiwan at 8.8% and Canada at 8.1%.
How has GXUS performed since it launched?
The fund's returns have been solid over its short life. Its official prospectus figures, as of December 31, 2024, show a 5.38% return for 2024 and 8.52% a year since its May 2023 launch. On a price basis, it gained 31.45% in 2025 and 12.5% in 2026 through October 27. As of that date, it was up 14.3% over one year and 21.1% a year over three years.