TACU vs TSPA

TACUAT. Rowe Price Active Core U.S. Equity ETF

TSPAAT. Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETF

In short

TACU T. Rowe Price's quant-plus-fundamental take on core large-cap U.S. stock, benchmarked to the Russell 1000. Gross fee 0.14%, fully waived to zero through January 30, 2027.

TSPA Active stock picking at near-index prices. T. Rowe Price runs roughly 300 U.S. stocks against the S&P 500 for 0.34%, about half the typical fee in its active U.S. equity peer group, and it has traded as an ETF since 2021.

Stated mandate

TACU The fund seeks long-term capital growth through a primarily U.S. equity portfolio. It combines quantitative models with fundamental, bottom-up analysis and seeks excess returns relative to the Russell 1000 Index.

TSPA The fund seeks long-term capital growth through an actively managed portfolio that is generally fully invested and primarily holds U.S. equity securities.

Why people hold it

• TACU Fee fully waived: 0.14% gross, zero net through January 30, 2027. That sits below every top-scoring peer in the category, including DFAU at 0.12% with no waiver.troweprice.com
• Quant models feed bottom-up stock picking with tilts to profitability, quality and value, chasing excess return over the Russell 1000 while holding tracking error tight.troweprice.com
• Several hundred large-cap names, so no single position runs the show. One of the stronger profiles in a crowded active U.S. equity field.troweprice.com

• TSPA 0.34% a year, versus a 0.65% median across active U.S. equity ETFs. Active management without the active price tag.
• A multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively, and one of the easiest funds in its category to move in and out of.
• About 300 holdings, generally fully invested in U.S. stocks and measured against the S&P 500. Broad shape, active picks inside it.
• Ranks among the strongest overall implementations in a peer group of more than 200 active U.S. equity ETFs.

Worth knowing

• TACU Launched in December 2025, so the live record is short and the risk read rests on limited history.
• Still a small fund that trades lightly, which can mean wider spreads than the category's giants.
• Distributions are annual at most, with no declared income target. This is a growth mandate, not a cash-flow one.

• TSPA Systematic peers undercut it on fee: DFAU at 0.12%, AVLC at 0.15%, FELC at 0.18%. You are paying up for human stock selection.
• Fully invested U.S. equity means full market risk. There is no cash buffer or hedge, and results ride on picks against the S&P 500.
• Distributions come annually or semiannually, so it is built around long-term capital growth rather than a regular income stream.

Full TACU profile⁠

Full TSPA profile⁠