It has been a lucrative period to have been invested in the stock market over the past three years. Both the ASX and the American markets have delivered bumper returns since late 2022. ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track these indexes prove it.
To illustrate, the iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ), a simple ASX 200 index fund, has returned 12.97% per annum since 31 October 2022.
The US markets have done far better, though. The iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) has returned an average of 21.4% over that same timespan. That's exceptional, given that this index's long-term average is about 7.5% per annum.
However, there is one ASX ETF that has put these funds to shame.
It is known as the Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG).
Over the three years to 31 October, this ASX ETF has delivered not a 20% or 30% return per annum. Not even 40%.
Its average rate of return has been an astounding 54.24% per annum. This astronomical rate of return would have been enough to turn $10,000 into roughly $36,700 over that three-year span.
So how has this high-flying ASX ETF done it?
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FAANGing to the top
Well, FANG is a fund that only holds ten stocks within it. By contrast, the ASX 200 ETF holds, well 200, and the S&P 500 fund, 500.
Those ten stocks are special, though. As you can probably gather from the name, they include all five members of the old 'FAANG' club – Facebook (now Meta Platforms), Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google (now Alphabet).
In addition to these five stocks, FANG also holds Broadcom, CrowdStrike, NVIDIA Corp, ServiceNow and Microsoft.
Microsoft and NVIDIA are members of the 'Magnificent 7' club that FAANG has morphed into. Meanwhile, Broadcom is a chipmaker and software stock. ServiceNow operates in the cloud-based business software space, and Crowdstrike is a leader in cybersecurity.
As you can imagine, all of these companies have enjoyed a phenomenal few years, thanks to the boom in interest in AI-related companies.
To illustrate, Broadcom stock is up approximately 645% since early December 2022. Some other notable winners include Crowdstrike (up 311%), Meta Platforms (up 425%) and, of course, NVIDIA (up a massive 948.5%).
Given that all ten of these FANG stocks have been unbridled winners, it's no surprise to see the ETF deliver such breathtaking gains.
So is this ASX ETF a screaming buy?
Well, that's the trillion-dollar question. There's no doubt that FANG's ten holdings are some of the best and most profitable companies in the world, and many will probably continue to be for years to come. However, that doesn't mean this ETF will continue to grow at 50%-plus every year going forward. A majority of its holdings are now worth more than US$1 trillion, and in many cases, far higher than that. There comes a point when companies simply cannot sustain growth rates due to sheer size.
This ETF is also heavily exposed to the US tech sector. It is highly concentrated and may be punished if the now-positive sentiment turns against tech shares.
It is difficult to judge what kind of future this ASX ETF holds in store for its investors. I would be surprised if it continues to see anything close to its recent blazing performance in the years ahead. But then again, it's not hard to make the case that it represents a stake in some of the world's top businesses. Investors should keep in mind that FANG represents a very narrow bet on a narrow range of companies, and judge the risks and potential rewards for themselves.
