Betashares offers a growing number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) covering a wide range of markets and investment themes.
For a 10-year holding period, these three stand out to me.
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Betashares Global Shares ETF (ASX: BGBL)
The BGBL ETF would be my first choice for broad exposure to global shares.
It invests in more than 1,000 large and mid-sized companies across over 20 developed markets outside Australia. This provides access to industries such as technology, healthcare, consumer goods, financial services, and industrials through a single ASX investment.
I like the simplicity of this approach. The ETF can benefit as established global businesses expand, while the underlying index naturally changes as companies grow or lose relevance.
The management fee is also just 0.08% per year, or approximately $8 annually for every $10,000 invested. Keeping costs low leaves more of the investment return available to compound over the next decade.
Currency movements will influence returns for Australian investors, and global markets can still experience difficult periods. Over 10 years, I think the fund's breadth and low fee give it a strong long-term investment case.
Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT)
The Betashares Australian Quality ETF takes a more selective approach to the Australian share market.
It owns 40 ASX companies chosen using measures such as high return on equity, relatively stable earnings, and low financial leverage. The current portfolio includes businesses from financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, consumer markets, resources, and several other sectors.
I think the quality screen makes sense over a long holding period. Highly profitable businesses with manageable debt can often continue investing through weaker economic conditions and emerge in a stronger competitive position.
The portfolio is reviewed as company fundamentals change, allowing the ETF to maintain its focus on financially strong businesses without requiring investors to select and monitor every holding themselves.
The AQLT ETF charges a management fee of 0.35% per year. That is higher than a basic Australian market tracker, although I think the deliberate focus on quality could justify the extra cost for investors who value this strategy.
Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)
Cybersecurity would be one of the long-term themes I would want exposure to over the next decade.
Businesses, governments, and households are storing more information online and relying more heavily on cloud platforms, connected devices, and artificial intelligence. Protecting those systems is becoming an increasingly important part of the digital economy.
The HACK ETF provides exposure to global cybersecurity companies, including Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and CrowdStrike. Its portfolio includes both established industry leaders and smaller businesses pursuing new areas of security technology.
This is the most specialised of my three picks, which means it could experience greater volatility. Its 0.67% annual management fee is also considerably higher than the cost of the Betashares Global Shares ETF.
But I would be comfortable accepting those higher costs and greater volatility over a 10-year holding period. Cyber threats continue to evolve alongside technology, creating an ongoing need for companies that can protect networks, identities, applications, and data.
Foolish Takeaway
Each of these Betashares ETFs offers a different long-term opportunity.
The BGBL ETF provides broad global exposure, the AQLT ETF focuses on quality Australian businesses, and the HACK ETF targets the growing cybersecurity industry.
Each stands on its own as an investment idea, and I would be happy to buy any or all of them today with the intention of holding until 2036.
