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RUSC

US Small Cap Equity Active ETF (RUSC)

Rating:64Neutral
Price Target:$39.00â–²(6.05% Upside)

RUSC, the US Small Cap Equity Active ETF, has a solid overall rating driven by several strong holdings with healthy financial performance and growth prospects, such as Argan (AGX) and CECO Environmental (CECO), which benefit from robust backlogs, revenue growth, and positive earnings outlooks. At the same time, weaker names like Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT), which faces declining revenue and profitability, and holdings with overvaluation or cash flow challenges slightly weigh on the fund’s quality. A key risk factor is the ETF’s exposure to small-cap companies that can be more volatile, especially when some holdings show mixed technical signals and pressure on cash flow or profitability.

Positive Factors
Strong Recent PerformanceThe ETF has delivered strong gains so far this year, supported by solid returns over the past three months and the last month.
Well-Performing Top HoldingsMany of the largest positions, especially in energy and technology, have shown strong year-to-date performance, helping drive the fund’s results.
Broad Sector DiversificationHoldings are spread across many sectors, including industrials, health care, financials, technology, and consumer-related areas, which helps reduce reliance on any single industry.
Negative Factors
High Expense RatioThe fund’s expense ratio is relatively high for an ETF, which means more of the returns are used to cover fees.
Heavy U.S. ConcentrationAlmost all of the ETF’s assets are invested in U.S. companies, offering very limited geographic diversification.
Exposure to Volatile Small Caps and BiotechThe focus on small-cap stocks and several health care and biotech names, including at least one weak recent performer, can lead to larger price swings and higher risk.

RUSC vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

AUM
85.25M
Region
North America
Expense Ratio
0.64%
Beta
0.93
Issuer
Russell Investments
Inception Date
May 13, 2025
Dividend Yield
0.32%
Asset Class
Equity
Index Tracked
No Underlying Index

RUSC Summary

RUSC is the US Small Cap Equity Active ETF, focused on smaller U.S. companies that may have more room to grow than large, established firms. It does not track a fixed index; instead, professional managers actively pick a mix of industrial, health care, financial, and technology stocks. The fund holds lesser-known names like Bloom Energy and Rayonier, giving investors diversified exposure to many small businesses in one investment, which can help with long-term growth. However, small-cap stocks can be more volatile than larger companies, so the ETF’s value can rise and fall sharply with market conditions.

How much will it cost me?

This ETF has an expense ratio of 0.64%, which means you’ll pay about $6.40 per year for every $1,000 you invest. That’s higher than the average ETF because it’s actively managed, with professionals selecting and adjusting the small-cap stocks in the portfolio.

What would affect this ETF?

This U.S. small-cap ETF could benefit if the American economy stays strong, interest rates fall or stabilize, and investors favor smaller, growth-oriented companies in sectors like industrials, health care, and technology, which make up a large part of its holdings. On the other hand, higher interest rates, an economic slowdown in the U.S., or tighter regulations on health care, financials, or energy companies could hurt smaller firms’ profits and make this fund more volatile.

RUSC Top 10 Holdings

RUSC is a U.S.-focused small-cap fund where a handful of nimble names are doing the heavy lifting. Ultra Clean Holdings has been a standout, rising strongly year-to-date even after some recent stumbles, while PDF Solutions and Solaris Energy Infrastructure add more momentum from the tech and energy corners. Universal Insurance is steadily supporting returns, but Argan and CECO Environmental have turned more mixed, and OceanFirst Financial is clearly lagging. Overall, the ETF leans into U.S. small-cap health care, industrials, financials, and technology, with no single stock dominating the story.

RUSC top ten holdings
NameCompany NameWeight %Market ValueMarket CapYearly GainOverall Rating
LGNDLGNDLigand Pharma0.69%$551.58K$6.43B60.48%60Neutral
PDFSPDFSPDF Solutions0.63%$503.74K$1.73B33.78%69Neutral
AGXAGXArgan0.57%$451.98K$4.83B9.11%73Outperform
WTTRWTTRSelect Energy Services0.56%$447.39K$2.54B57.96%62Neutral
UCTTUCTTUltra Clean Holdings0.56%$446.02K$2.38B70.85%52Neutral
UVEUVEUniversal Insurance Holdings0.52%$411.78K$1.34B59.09%69Neutral
CECOCECOCeco Environmental0.47%$374.67K$2.96B-0.59%72Outperform
CXTCXTCrane NXT0.47%$373.31K$3.37B-4.16%72Outperform
OCFCOCFCOceanfirst Financial0.46%$368.36K$1.77B2.70%75Outperform
SEISEISolaris Energy Infrastructure0.45%$355.87K$5.67B22.86%69Neutral

RUSC Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price36.78

Price Trends

50DMA36.91Negative
100DMA37.57Negative
200DMA35.87Positive

Market Momentum

MACD-0.03Negative
RSI53.27Neutral
STOCH87.26Negative

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in ETF analysis to make informed investment decisions. For RUSC, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 36.78 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 36.28, below the 50-day MA of 36.91, and above the 200-day MA of 35.87, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.03 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 53.27 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 87.26 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for RUSC.

RUSC Peer Comparison

Comparison Results

RUSC against its peer funds
NamePricePrice TargetAUMExpense RatioOverall Rating
RUSCRUSC$36.78$39.00(6.05% Upside)$85.25M0.64%64Neutral
AIMSAIMS$27.07$34.41(27.15% Upside)$84.74M0.75%65Neutral
SYZSYZ$29.51$36.38(23.25% Upside)$63.23M0.61%66Neutral
ESSCESSC$28.92$37.81(30.74% Upside)$34.73M0.49%66Neutral
FTKIFTKI$19.46$23.21(19.29% Upside)$25.61M0.86%63Neutral
ALILALIL$29.89$36.41(21.81% Upside)$22.86M0.74%69Neutral

Performance Comparison

0%10%20%30%RUSCAIMSSYZESSCFTKIALILDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
RUSC and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
RUSCUS Small Cap Equity Active ETF36.786.7722.55%
AIMSAcuitas Small Cap Active ETF27.071.897.49%
SYZLazard US Systematic Small Cap Equity ETF29.515.5423.10%
ESSCEventide Small Cap ETF28.924.1716.86%
FTKIFirst Trust Small Cap BuyWrite Income ETF19.463.1219.06%
ALILArgent Focused Small Cap ETF29.891.615.69%
Glossary
BuyAn ETF rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldAn ETF rated as a "Hold" s expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the ETF is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellAn ETF rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF may deliver lower returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer

This AI Analyst ETF Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in ETFs carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.