Many Aussie investors would benefit by having some ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a portfolio, in my view. The most popular ones can provide investors with excellent diversification.
But, it's possible for some portfolios to provide almost too much diversification, meaning the returns may not be as good as they could be if investors just owned the better businesses.
I like the idea of investing in some of the best portfolios because of the potential for stronger returns, which is why I like the following ideas for five-year (or longer) investments.
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Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)
The global share market is home to a large array of wonderful businesses. The QLTY ETF aims to just pick out the best of them by owning 150 high-quality international stocks.
It identifies which businesses to own with a number of screens. That includes return on equity (ROE), debt to capital, cash flow generation ability, and earnings stability.
The ROE criteria mean the businesses earn a higher level of profit compared to the amount of shareholder money retained. Generating strong cash flow is very attractive because we want to see earnings flow through the bank account. Earnings stability suggests profit doesn't usually go backwards, and the profit regularly rises. Low debt to capital ensures the businesses are healthy and not funding growth with a lot of debt.
This selection process has led to the businesses coming from a variety of countries and sectors. There are five industries with a double-digit weighting: IT (31% of the portfolio), industrials (16.6%), healthcare (16.3%), financials (10.6%), and consumer discretionary (10.4%).
Impressively, in the last three years, it has returned an average of 20.7%. But, past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
Global X S&P World ex Australia GARP ETF (ASX: GARP)
The GARP investment strategy means 'growth at a reasonable price', which I think is one of the best ways to invest. Earnings growth is key for sending share prices higher. Buying at a good valuation is useful for identifying businesses that could outperform the market.
There are multiple elements that go into choosing the stocks for this portfolio.
It looks for growth, with 3-year sales per share and earnings per share (EPS) growth figures. The fund identifies 500 stocks eligible for inclusion.
Next, it looks at the value and quality of the best 250 stocks. Value is decided by looking at their earnings compared to the share price, which is essentially the price-earnings (P/E) ratio.
Quality is assessed by looking at the financial leverage (meaning debt levels) and the ROE ratios of the businesses.
By combining those aspects, you're left with a high-quality, high-growth portfolio.
Excitingly, the index this fund tracks has delivered an average annual return of 19.7% over the past five years. That shows how well it can perform, in my view, though it's not guaranteed to repeat itself.
