The BetaShares Global Healthcare ETF – Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: DRUG) and iShares Enhanced Cash ETF (ASX: ISEC) are two ASX ETFs that might be worth digging into in 2020.
BetaShares DRUG ETF
The BetaShares DRUG ETF provides investors with exposure to leading global healthcare companies, hedged into Australian dollars.
As at the end of last month, the DRUG ETF had $41.06 million of money invested. Since its 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. At Best ETFs we say an ETF with more than $100 million invested is typically more sustainable than one with less than $100 million (at least). 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.
Fees & costs
The yearly management fee on the DRUG ETF is 0.57%. The issuer, BetaShares, takes this out automatically.
What this fee means is, if you invested, say, $2,000 in the DRUG ETF for a full year you could expect to pay management fees of around $11.40. This fee is different from the fee you pay to your brokerage provider (e.g. CommSec, NabTrade, SelfWealth, etc.) to buy or sell the ETF. Importantly, you should also be mindful of the ‘spread‘ for the ETF.
Is the ETF too expensive?
The easiest way to know if the ETF is too costly is to compare it with other ETFs in the same sector, and against the industry average. The average management fee (MER) across all of the ETFs covered by Best ETFs Australia is 0.54%, which is around $10.80 per $2,000 invested. Small changes in fees can make a big difference after 10 or 20 years. To understand all of the fees, you should read the DRUG Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), available on the ETF issuer’s website, because it has the complete and up-to-date information.
To learn more about DRUG, click here to access our free investment report.
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The iShares ISEC ETF – key points
The iShares ISEC ETF provides investors with exposure to higher-yielding, short-term money market instruments, including floating rate notes. ISEC seeks to outperform the S&P/ASX Bank Bill Index (before fees and expenses).
At the end of April 2020, ISEC’s FUM stood at $201.73 million. With ISEC’s FUM over $100 million, we say the ETF has met our minimum criteria for the total amount invested. However, in reality, a very sustainable ETF in the Index sector should be able to scale well beyond that amount.
Are ISEC’s fees too high?
iShares charge a yearly management fee of 0.12% for the ISEC ETF. Meaning, with $2,000 invested for 12 months you can expect to pay a base management fee of around $2.40.
The management fee is above the average for all ETFs on our radar, but keep in mind the ETF may be able to justify it.
If you’re weighing up the DRUG ETF in a diversified portfolio, consider searching our full ETF list to compare fees and costs side-by-side. Another thing you can do is access our comprehensive investment report on DRUG.
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