1. Find out what the ROBO ETF invests in
The ETFS ROBO ETF provides investors with exposure to the global value chain of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence (RAAI) related companies. Some investors consider RAAI-related companies as disruptors to industries across the globe and thus, a ‘thematic’ or ‘megatrend’ to invest in.
The ROBO ETF could be used by Australian investors to gain exposure to the RAAI investment thematic. These are companies that have the potential to disrupt industries around the world, and the ROBO ETF provides investors with a means to participate in this high growth and rapidly evolving megatrend.
2. Has the ETF reached scale?
The Global X ROBO ETF had $213.99 million of money invested when we last pulled the monthly numbers. Given ROBO’s total funds under management (FUM) figure is over $100 million, the ETF has met our minimum criteria for the total amount of money invested, otherwise known as FUM. We draw 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 de-risks the ETF.
3. Watch the fees (and other costs)
Global X charges investors a yearly management fee of 0.69% for the ROBO ETF. This means that if you invested $2,000 in ROBO for a full year, you could expect to pay management fees of around $13.80.
For context, the average management fee (MER) of all ETFs covered by Best ETFs Australia on our complete list of ASX ETFs is 0.51% or around $10.20 per $2,000 invested. Keep in mind, small changes in fees can make a big difference after 10 or 20 years.
Where to from here in 2020?
So there you have it, three tips to weigh up the ROBO ETF. Before you go any further, take a look at our Global X ROBO report – it’s free. Then, to make sure you’ve covered all bases, don’t forget to search our complete list of ASX ETFs to compare your options. You can filter the search results according to sector, issuer, size and more.
