Goldman looks to expand active-ETF presence with $2.3 billion Neos deal

Demand for such products has surged of late, as institutions look to hedge portfolios with investments that help cushion drawdown risk and provide recurring income in a volatile market environment.

Neos has returned about 19% over a one-year period through June in its flagship S&P 500 high-income ETF, while total returns in the fund since inception are close to 15%, according to the firm's website.

"As investor demand for active ETFs grows, Neos' disciplined investment approach is highly complementary to our capabilities across buffer, managed outcome and income strategies," Goldman CEO David Solomon said in a statement.

Goldman has pursued acquisitions in the actively managed ETF space to diversify into asset management and capitalize on the growing demand. The Wall Street giant acquired Innovator Capital, which also employs an options-based ETF, earlier this year.

Investment banks across Wall Street are also leaning on their asset management businesses for steadier revenue to counter the vagaries of hard-to-predict investment banking and trading growth.

Goldman reported net revenue of $4.6 billion from its asset and wealth management segment in the second quarter, a 20% jump from the same period a year earlier.

Its purchase of Neos, expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, will propel its active ETFs to $80 billion. Post-acquisition, Neos co-founders Troy Cates and Garrett Paolella will join the bank as partners.