A CMC survey of more than 8,500 investors and traders has identified the four most popular ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The survey showed ASX shares investors are still buying despite today's economic uncertainty and trading volatility.
The most common way people are adding to their portfolios is via ETFs, the survey found.
About 48% of respondents have raised their investment in ETFs compared to 38% for ASX shares and 21% for US stocks.
Investors felt the most confidence in ETFs when considering which asset classes would perform best over the next six months.
About 29% said they expected ETFs to do best, followed by US shares at 21%, global shares at 16%, ASX shares at 16%, and commodities at 14%.
Fraser Allan, Head of Premium Client Management at CMC, said index investing "has become the default".
When investors and traders are uncertain, they're not going to cash and they're not stock-picking their way out of it.
They're buying the market and getting diversified exposure to local and international markets through a handful of very large, very liquid ETFs.
CMC Invest's 2026 H1 Inside Invest Report found four ASX ETFs account for about 75% of the top 10 orders placed by CMC clients.
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Big 4 ASX exchange-traded funds
According to CMC, the most popular ETFs among its clients are as follows.
1. iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)
IVV ETF tracks the American benchmark index, the S&P 500 Index (SP: INX).
The S&P 500 has substantially outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the past three years.
In fact, in FY26, US stocks delivered 3 times the total return of ASX 200 shares at 22% versus 7%.
Experts say the performance gap is attributable to the artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom led by the US.
IVV provides exposure to the AI 'hyperscalers', Meta Platforms, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft shares.
The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 94% to 6%.
IVV ETF has risen 5% in the calendar year to date (YTD).
2. Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)
VGS ETF tracks the MSCI World ex-Australia (with net dividends reinvested) in Australian dollars Index.
This ASX ETF provides exposure to 1,300 international shares with an almost 80% leaning to the US market.
The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 96% to 4%.
VGS ETF has increased 4% in the YTD.
3. Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)
VAS ETF tracks the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), providing exposure to Australia's 300 largest listed companies.
They include BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).
The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 93% to 7%.
VAS ETF has risen 1% in the YTD.
4. BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)
NDQ ETF tracks the tech-heavy NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX).
The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 92% to 8%.
NDQ ETF has lifted 7% in the YTD.
