If you’re looking for an ASX ETF in the International shares sector, chances are, the ETF Securities Global Core Infrastructure ETF (ASX: CORE) is an ETF you’re considering.
How Australian investors can use the CORE ETF
The ETFS CORE ETF provides investors with exposure to the performance of shares from the largest infrastructure-focused companies listed on global markets, with weightings tilted towards the shares with lower volatility.
The CORE ETF is yet to reach scale
With a funds under management (FUM) or ‘market cap’ figure of less than $100 million, it’s important to consider if this ETF is still too small. We say an ETF with more than $100 million invested is typically more sustainable than one with less than $100 million (at least) because if an ETF is too small it may not be sustainable for an ETF issuer, such as ETF Securities. However, there are exceptions to this rule of thumb, especially if the ETF issuer/provider is committed to growing the ETF’s FUM to the point where it becomes profitable.
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Don’t forget CORE fees
With a yearly management fee of 0.45% charged by ETF Securities, if you invested $2,000 in the CORE ETF for a full year you could expect to pay management fees of around $9.. This does not include any performance fees earned by the ETF’s manager for doing a good job. For context, the average management fee (MER) of all ETFs covered by Best ETFs Australia on our complete list of ASX ETFs is 0.54% or around $10.8 per $2,000 invested. Keep in mind, small changes in fees can make a big difference after 10 or 20 years.
In addition to a yearly management fee, there are other costs investors must consider, including brokerage and taxes. A specific cost for ETF and mFund investors to consider is the buy-sell spread, which is the slippage or ‘invisible’ cost paid by an investor when he or she buys or sells the ETF. For the CORE ETF, the most recent average monthly buy-sell spread we gathered (April 2020) was 0.5%. Remember, the lower (or ‘tighter’) the buy-sell spread, the better. This buy-sell spread was below the average ETF spread of 0.51%, so that’s a good thing.
Takeaway
If you’re weighing up the CORE ETF, keep in mind that this is just a brief introduction to the ETF. Indeed, before doing anything, take a look at our free ETF Securities CORE report. And while you’re at it, consider searching our complete list of ASX ETFs for similar ETFs in the International shares sector, to do a good comparison.
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