Is 2021 going to be the year to invest in ASX ETFs like the SPDR S&P/ASX 50 ETF (ASX: SFY) and VanEck Global Healthcare Leaders ETF (ASX: HLTH)?
How an Aussie (or Kiwi!) investor can use the SFY ETF
The SPDR SFY ETF is the only Australian ETF providing exposure to Australia’s top 50 listed companies, by market capitalisation. SFY provides a low-cost way to invest in the ASX’s top 50 companies through a single fund.
According to our most recent data, the SFY ETF had $772.73 million of money invested. With SFY’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 Australian 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 SFY ETF is 0.29%. The issuer, SPDR, collects this fee automatically.
Meaning, if you invested $2,000 in the SFY ETF for a full year you could expect to pay management fees of around $5.80. 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 0.51%, which is $10.20 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 SFY Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), available on the ETF issuer’s website, because it will detail the fees, tax implications and the latest information.
You can get a copy of our free investment review when click here to see the SFY ETF report.
Key facts about the HLTH ETF
The HLTH ETF invests in shares of international healthcare companies which offer growth ‘at a reasonable price’. Meaning, the ETF aims to invest in shares according to the common GARP methodology.
With our numbers for July 2021, HLTH’s FUM stood at $52.98 million. Given it has less than $100 million invested, ask yourself (or your adviser) if the ETF is still too small (and if you should wait to buy into it). If you’re concerned the ETF might not be established enough, compare it alongside one of the other Growth factor sector ETFs, using our full list of ETFs.
Are the fees for the HLTH ETF bad?
VanEck, the ETF issuer, charges a yearly management fee of 0.45% for the HLTH ETF. Meaning, if you invested $2,000 for a full 12-month period you could expect to pay a base management fee of around $9.00.
The management fee is above the average for all ETFs on our list of ASX ETFs, but keep in mind the ETF may be able to justify the higher price tag with superior performance over time.
Get the full HLTH review available on our website by clicking this link to access our report.
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