How different the world of investing is today than it was back in March… At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is motoring along at 5,942 points. At these levels, we are now up more than 30% from the lows we saw in March, although still aways from the all-time highs we were seeing in February.
But some investments have done one better. Just this week, the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) made a new all-time high. This ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracks the US Nasdaq exchange and counts some of the biggest tech companies in the world (like Microsoft and Amazon.com) as constituents.
But not all ETFs are flying so high.
Here are 3 that are still substantially below their early 2020 highs, and that might make good investments today for long-term returns:
A top global shares ASX ETF
The iShares Global 100 ETF (ASX: IOO) is an ETF that tracks the 100-largest global companies across the advanced economies of the world. These are largely made up of American shares like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Alphabet, but the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and even Australia get exposure, too.
Despite the recovery in global markets since March, this ETF is still trading around $77 a unit – a fair distance from the $85+ price tag it was asking back in February. Thus, it might be a good time to consider this blue chip bastion today.
Consumer staples shares
The iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (ASX: IXI) is another ASX fund that hasn't yet fully recovered from the shellacking it saw in March. This ETF houses a basket of globally-listed companies that dwell in the consumer staples space. This includes makers of packaged foods, drinks, household essentials and cleaning products, as well as 'sin stocks' like alcohol and tobacco companies. You'll find our own Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) here, as well as global giants like Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Unilever.
Ishares' Global 100 units have recovered well since March. Coincidently, these shares also hover around $77, below their $85 February range. For one of the safest ETFs around (in my opinion), today could also be a good day to add this ETF to your portfolio.
Emerging markets opportunity?
The Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Shares ETF (ASX: VGE) is our final ETF to consider today. It tracks shares from those economies that are deemed to be 'emerging'. You'll find shares from China, Taiwan, India and Brazil here, amongst others. These markets are riskier, but also offer potentially higher long-run returns in my opinion if demographics are anything to go by.
VGE units were asking close to $75 earlier in the year, but today are going for around $64.80. If you want to add some exotic spice to your portfolio with this ETF, today is as good a time as any in my view.
