On the ASX, the BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF – Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: FUEL) and Vaneck Australian Equal Weight ETF (ASX: MVW) are two ASX ETFs worthy of closer inspection.
What the BetaShares FUEL ETF does for investors
The BetaShares FUEL ETF provides investors with exposure to the performance of the largest energy companies around the world, hedged into Australian dollars.
According to our most recent data, the FUEL ETF had $181.89 million of money invested. With FUEL’s total funds under management (FUM) figure over $100 million, the ETF meets our team’s minimum investment criteria for FUM levels. As a general rule, our team draws the line at $100 million for ETFs in the International shares sector because we believe that, relative to smaller ETFs, achieving this amount of FUM lowers the chance that the ETF issuer will close the ETF.
Fees to consider
According to our numbers, the annual management fee on the FUEL ETF is 0.57%. The issuer, BetaShares, collects this fee automatically.
Meaning, if you invested $2,000 in the FUEL 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.), which is the fee to buy or sell the ETF. In addition to a management fee charged by the issuer, be mindful to check the ‘spread‘ for the ETF.
A fee comparison
Fees aren’t the only key consideration for ETF investors, but it’s an easy thing to do. To understand if the ETF you’re looking at is too costly, compare it with other ETFs from the same sector, and against the industry average. For example, the average management fee (MER) across all of the ETFs covered by the Best ETFs Australia team was 0.5%, which is $10.00 per $2,000 invested. Keep in mind that small changes in the fees paid can make a big difference after 10 or 20 years. You should read the FUEL Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), available on the ETF issuer’s website, because it will detail the fees, tax implications and the latest information.
Side note: did you know you can access our full review of the FUEL ETF by clicking here?
What does the Vaneck MVW ETF do?
The VanEck MVW ETF provides exposure to over 60 of the largest and most liquid Australian shares, equally weighted. By equally weighting shares, this ETF aims to reduce concentration risk in specific Australian stocks and sectors.
With our numbers for Oct 2020, MVW’s FUM stood at $1224.66 million. Since the MVW’s FUM is over $100 million, our investing team would say the ETF has met our minimum criteria for the total amount invested, otherwise known as FUM. A very sustainable ETF in the Equal weight sector should be able to scale well and become profitable for the ETF issuer.
Are the fees for the MVW ETF bad?
Vaneck, the ETF issuer, charges a yearly management fee of 0.35% for the MVW ETF. Meaning, if you invested $2,000 for a full 12-month period you could expect to pay a base management fee of around $7.00.
This management fee is below the average for all ETFs on our Best ETFs Australia list of ETFs. However, you might still be able to find a cheaper ETF for less.
If you want to learn more about the MVW ETF, you should know that you can access our free investment report.
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