Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) has been one of the most popular shares in the world to talk about in 2020 so far. Tesla (and its… eccentric CEO, Elon Musk) have never spent long out of the limelight over the past 5 years. From the infamous 'private at $420' tweet and a public showdown with the United States SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to the Bladerunner-esque Cybertruck and the more recent stock split, there always seems to be something in the news about Tesla.
But 2020 has brought that 'something' into a realm most investors understand (and can't ignore) – an exploding share price. Tesla has long been a rather volatile share. But 2020 has turned up that dial to 11 (out of 10).
Picture this. At the start of 2020, Tesla shares were priced at US$86 (post-split adjusted) after going as low as US$38 in May 2019. During the March market crash, the shares descended to around US$72.
But it's been onwards and upwards from there. Today, Tesla shares are asking US$371 after going as high as US$500 less than 2 weeks ago. The shares remain 330% up for the year so far.
But Tesla is listed in the United States, on the Nasdaq exchange to be specific. And whilst many Aussie investors are comfortable buying international shares, many still are not. So how would the latter investor get exposure to Tesla shares on the ASX today? Well, there are 3 easy options.
Tesla on the ASX
Option 1) ETFS FAANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG)
This exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracks a concentrated portfolio of 10 US tech companies, including the FAANG stocks as well as Tesla. Since Tesla has a current weighting in this fund of 15.1% (the heaviest current allocation), this is a great way to own Tesla in your portfolio.
Option 2) BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)
Our second option is this Nasdaq ETF. As I mentioned earlier, Tesla is traded on the Nasdaq exchange and as a result, appears in this ETF (although not in any S&P 500 ETFs as of yet). Tesla shares are the sixth largest holding in NDQ with a 3% weighting.
Option 3) ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC)
Our final option is another ETF, this time with a focus on battery technology (and an ultra-cool ticker symbol to boot). ACDC holds a range of companies that are involved in energy storage and lithium processing. Tesla is ACDC's largest holding with a 5.3% weighting, joining some other ASX shares like Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY).
This is a slightly more risky option in my view due to the wild swings often seen in lithium mining shares. But if you're bullish on both lithium and Tesla, let there be rock, I say.
