How about the new Betashares Global Defence ETF (ASX: ARMR), which only began trading in October last year?

If you're invested in any Betashares exchange-traded funds (ETFs), today you'll be rewarded with your next lot of dividends.

Here is how much you'll receive in your bank account by the close of business on Wednesday.

Dividends for A200, NDQ and ARMR ETFs

The A200 ETF tracks the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) before fees.

It provides exposure to Australia's top listed companies, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), and CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL).

A200 will pay $1.07576468 per unit with 56.21% franking.

ASX NDQ tracks the NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX) before fees.

This ETF provides exposure to global household names like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA).

The ASX NDQ will pay 49.021982 cents per unit.

The ARMR ETF seeks to track the VettaFi Global Defence Leaders Index before fees.

ARMR provides exposure to up to 60 companies that derive more than 50% of their revenue from defence equipment or services.

The ETF's top holdings are Rheinmetall AG (ETR: RHM), Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR), and BAE Systems PLC (FRA: BSP).

ARMR ETF will pay a maiden dividend of 53.546615 cents per unit.

What about other Betashares ASX ETFs?

Here is a summary of the dividends that people invested in this selection of Betashares ETFs will receive today.

Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT) will pay 78.670012 cents per unit with 45.7% franking.

The Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA) will pay 2.7997434 cents per unit.

Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC) will pay 62.133156 cents per unit with 9.65% franking.

Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF) will pay 27.862004 cents per unit with 21.31% franking.

The Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: RBTZ) will pay 28.781362 cents per unit.

Betashares Climate Change Innovation ETF (ASX: ERTH) will pay 4.524139 cents per unit.

The Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) will pay 30.660703 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) will pay 46.17632 cents per unit with 31.18% franking.

Here's a few more…

The Betashares Video Games and Esports ETF (ASX: GAME) will pay 14.695966 cents per unit.

The Betashares Geared Australian Equity Fund – Hedge Fund (ASX: GEAR) will pay 18.921508 cents per unit with 389.47% franking.

Betashares Geared U.S. Equity Fund – Currency Hedged (ASX: GGUS) will pay 87.057737 cents per unit.

The Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) will pay 43.465958 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Financials Sector ETF (ASX: QFN) will pay 21.176497 cents per unit with 57.69% franking.

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) will pay 67.851406 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Resources Sector ETF (ASX: QRE) will pay 10.181135 cents per unit with 82.43% franking.

Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM) will pay 19.732154 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Top 20 Equity Yield Maximiser Fund (ASX: YMAX) will pay 13.102915 cents per unit with 40.39% franking.

The post Own ASX A200, NDQ, or ARMR ETFs? It's dividend payday for you! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Investors who own these Betashares ETFs below will receive their dividends on 16 July.

According to the schedule, the ex-dividend date is 1 July, and the record date is 2 July.

Dividend pay day for Betashares ETF investors

Here is a summary of the dividend amounts that people invested in this selection of Betashares ETFs will receive on 16 July.

The Betashares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) will pay $1.07576468 per unit with 56.21% franking.

Betashares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) will pay 49.021982 cents per unit.

Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT) will pay 78.670012 cents per unit with 45.7% franking.

The Betashares Global Defence ETF (ASX: ARMR) will pay 53.546615 cents per unit.

The Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA) will pay 2.7997434 cents per unit.

Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC) will pay 62.133156 cents per unit with 9.65% franking.

Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF) will pay 27.862004 cents per unit with 21.31% franking.

The Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: RBTZ) will pay 28.781362 cents per unit.

Betashares Climate Change Innovation ETF (ASX: ERTH) will pay 4.524139 cents per unit.

The Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) will pay 30.660703 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) will pay 46.17632 cents per unit with 31.18% franking.

Nope, not done yet!

The Betashares Video Games and Esports ETF (ASX: GAME) will pay 14.695966 cents per unit.

The Betashares Geared Australian Equity Fund – Hedge Fund (ASX: GEAR) will pay 18.921508 cents per unit with 389.47% franking.

Betashares Geared U.S. Equity Fund – Currency Hedged (ASX: GGUS) will pay 87.057737 cents per unit.

The Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) will pay 43.465958 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Financials Sector ETF (ASX: QFN) will pay 21.176497 cents per unit with 57.69% franking.

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) will pay 67.851406 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Resources Sector ETF (ASX: QRE) will pay 10.181135 cents per unit with 82.43% franking.

Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM) will pay 19.732154 cents per unit.

The Betashares Australian Top 20 Equity Yield Maximiser Fund (ASX: YMAX) will pay 13.102915 cents per unit with 40.39% franking.

Want to reinvest your ASX ETF dividends?

A distribution reinvestment plan (DRP) is available for all of these Betashares ETFs.

Betashares must receive your DRP election by 5pm AEST on 3 July.

The post Dividend alert: What Betashares ASX ETFs are paying and when appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

International ASX ETFs offer investors exposure to US shares, emerging markets, and other markets.

As we've previously reported, Australian investors poured more than twice as much money into ETFs holding international shares than Aussie shares over the first three quarters of 2024.

In this article, we review newly published figures from the ASX revealing which ETFs holding overseas stocks dished up the best total returns in the calendar year 2024.

Total returns incorporate both share price gains and distributions (or dividends).

Top 6 international ASX ETFs for total returns in 2024

According to the data, here are the top six ETFs:

Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG)

The FANG+ ETF delivered an outstanding one-year return of 65.08%. The historical distribution yield is 4.29%.

This ETF has a market cap of $177.02 million and a management expense ratio (MER) of 0.35%.

VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

The ESPO ETF delivered a similarly stunning annual return of 63.1%. The historical distribution yield is 0.47%.

This ETF has a market cap of $78.95 million and a MER of 0.55%.

BetaShares Video Games and Esports ETF (ASX: GAME)

The GAME ETF delivered a 12-month return of 54.38%. The historical distribution yield is 0.26%.

This ASX exchange-traded fund has a market cap of $4.49 million and a MER of 0.57%.

BetaShares Geared US Equity Fund Currency Hedged (Hedge Fund) (ASX: GGUS)

The GGUS ETF delivered a total annual return of 45.19%. There is no historical distribution yield.

This exchange-traded fund has a market cap of $277.59 million and a MER of 0.8%.

iShares China Large-Cap ETF (ASX: IZZ)

The IZZ ETF delivered a total annual return of 44.03%. The historical distribution yield is 3.19%.

This ETF has a market cap of $299.81 million and a MER of 0.6%.

Global X US 100 ETF (ASX: U100)

The U100 ETF delivered a one-year return of 43.23%. The historical distribution yield is 0.24%.

This ASX ETF has a market cap of $55.49 million and a MER of 0.24%.

More about the No. 1 international shares ETF

The FANG+ ETF provides concentrated exposure to 10 companies.

They include six of the US Magnificent Seven. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) is excluded.

According to ETF provider, Global X:

The Global X FANG+ ETF (FANG) seeks to invest in companies at the leading edge of next-generation technology …

Next-gen technology spans multiple segments, and its most innovative companies include both household names and newcomers from around the world.

The post Which ASX ETFs holding international shares delivered the best returns in 2024? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But which ones delivered the goods for investors in 2024? Let's see which five ASX ETFs (with funds under management of approximately $100 million+) delivered the best returns over the period. They are as follows:

Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP)

The best-performing ASX ETF in 2024 was the Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF with a stunning 79% gain.

This ASX ETF allows investors to invest in the crypto ecosystem by providing easy access to cryptocurrency exchanges, crypto mining companies, and mining equipment firms. It also includes companies with balance sheets that are held at least 75% in crypto assets and diversified companies with crypto-focused business lines.

These companies were given a major boost late in the year when Donald Trump won the race to the White House.

VanEck Video Gaming and Esports AUD ETF (ASX: ESPO)

Some distance behind was the VanEck Video Gaming and Esports AUD ETF which recorded an impressive 55% gain in 2024.

This fund gives investors access to the leading players in a global video game market estimated to comprise almost 3 billion active gamers and growing. Among its largest holdings are game developers such as Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA), Roblox (NYSE: RBLX), and Take-Two (NASDAQ: TTWO).

BetaShares Geared U.S. Equity Fund – Currency Hedged (ASX: GGUS)

The BetaShares Geared U.S. Equity Fund was on form and delivered a return of 54.8% in 2024.

GGUS is a bit different to other ETFs. That's because its leverage (gearing) gives investors the opportunity to make magnified gains when the US share market rises. This means that when the S&P 500 index rises, this ETF rises even more thanks to its gearing. But conversely, if the share market were to fall, this ETF would post an even larger decline. Fortunately for owners of this fund, 2024 was a great year for the S&P 500 index.

Global X Fang+ ETF (ASX: FANG)

Another ASX ETF that delivered a strong return in 2024 was the Global X Fang+ ETF, which rose 49% over the 12 months.

FANG delivers investors access to multiple disruptive macro-trends arising from technological advancements, changing demographics, and consumer preferences. This includes through all the FANG stocks plus the likes of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), and Crowdstrike (NASDAQ: CRWD).

BetaShares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC)

Finally, the BetaShares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF was a very strong performer and raced 48% higher during the year.

This ETF gives investors access to the leading companies in the Australian technology sector. Its holdings include Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME), TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE), and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO).

The post These were the 5 best ASX ETFs to buy in 2024 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's just fine for fans of these funds. After all, an index fund gives investors access to virtually an entire stock market and delivers the average performance of said market. The tradeoff for this simplicity and hand-off approach is arguably that average return.

But there are some other ASX ETFs on our markets that have caught my eye of late for their eye-watering returns — returns that seemingly put index funds to shame.

So today, let's go through some of these funds and assess whether they are worth chasing as an investment.

3 high-flying ASX ETFs

First up is the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT). This Warren Buffett-style active ETF has long been a head-turner for delivering outsized ASX returns for investors.

Holding a concentrated portfolio of US stocks, this ETF identifies companies that show signs of possessing a wide economic moat, which is Warren Buffett's way of describing an inherent competitive advantage that a company might possess. Some current holdings include Starbucks, Altria and Campbell Soup.

This style has led to some Buffett-like returns, with MOAT units returning an average of 15.39% per annum over the past five years.

Next, we have the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK). This ETF does pretty much what it says on the tin: it offers investors access to a portfolio of global companies that are all leaders in the cybersecurity space. Some current holdings include Broadcom, Fortinet, and Zscaler.

HACK units have returned 22.5% over the past 12 months, and have averaged 8.89% per annum over the past three years and 15.22% per annum over the past five.

Last up, we have the BetaShares Geared US Equity Fund (ASX: GGUS). This ETF is a leveraged ETF, meaning that it employs leveraged (also known as geared or borrowed) funds to amplify its potential gains.

At its core, this fund tracks the American S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX). However, by using leverage, the potential gains can be higher than those enjoyed by the broader market. Of course, this cuts both ways, with GGUS units expected to fall more than the broader market in a downturn.

The Betashares Geared US Equity Fund has returned 37.34% over the 12 months to 31 July and has averaged 6.92% over the past three years and 18.79% per annum over the past five.

Are these funds worth buying today?

I would buy two of these three funds today: the VanEck Wide Moat ETF and the Betashares Cybersecurity ETF.

MOAT has a unique but effective investing methodology, which I think has been vindicated by its long history of delivering for its investors. It comprises many of the highest-calibre companies on the US markets, and, with that Buffett-inspired stock-picking playbook, will continue to kick goals going forward in my view.

HACK doesn't quite fit this mould, being an entirely thematic ETF. Normally I shy away from thematic funds, as they tend to reflect the latest hot trend on the markets. But in this case, I make an exception.

These days, we are reminded of the ever-growing importance of cybersecurity almost weekly. Governments, businesses, and individuals will be increasingly willing to spend top dollar to prevent an embarrassing and potentially harmful data breach. As such, I think this is a trend worth incorporating into an ASX share portfolio.

But I wouldn't invest in or recommend a leveraged ETF like GGUS for most ASX investors. Why? Well, these funds do have the potential to deliver some impressive gains. But they usually use some highly complex financial engineering to do so.

Financial engineering doesn't come cheap, hence why we tend to see very expensive management fees (1% per annum in this case). This can blunt the outsized returns that you might otherwise enjoy.

Further, the potential of a confidence-shattering loss in your portfolio on a normal down day might prompt some investors to sell out at an inopportune moment.

So that's my take on these ASX ETF high flyers. As Meatloaf once said, "Two out of three ain't bad".

The post Should you buy these high-performing ASX ETFs today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The co-founder of Betashares, Ilan Israelstam, said:

The Australian ETF industry ended the financial year on another record high, reaching the $200 billion mark in total assets under management after recording robust growth for the half year.

The ETF industry continues to go from strength to strength, as investors increasingly adopt ETFs to build their portfolios.

Israelstam said that as a group, ETFs trading on either the ASX or CBOE exchanges increased in size by 15.7%, or $27.8 billion, over the first half of CY24.

As of 30 June, these ETFs represented $205.3 billion in assets under management, which was a new industry record.

Over the six months to 30 June, a net $11 billion was invested in ETFs. That's more than double the net $4.8 billion invested in the first half of 2023, demonstrating their rising popularity.

In the meantime, unlisted managed funds continue to see increased outflows as investors favour the exchange-traded alternative, which was introduced to the Australian share market in 2001.

ETFs providing exposure to international shares received the highest inflow of funds in 1H CY24 at $5.6 billion. ETFs holding Australian shares were the second most popular, with $3.3 billion of inflows.

There are now 50 issuers of ETFs in Australia. Betashares ETFs recorded the largest net inflows for 1H CY24 at approximately $3 billion. Betashares, Vanguard and iShares received just under 80% of all inflows.

4 top-performing ASX ETFs of 2024 so far

Here are the top four ETFs based on performance in 1H CY24, according to Betashares.

4 largest ETFs of 2024 so far

Betashares also published a list of the largest ETFs by market capitalisation in 1H CY24.

We recently revealed the Australian shares ETFs that delivered the best three-year returns, as well as the global shares ETFs that delivered 50% to 70% returns last year.

The post 4 best-performing ASX ETFs in 2024 so far appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

There are hundreds of global shares ETFs to choose from on the ASX. Some track indexes like the MSCI World Index, the NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX) and the CRSP US Total Market Index. Some are sector-based. But most ETFs have specific strategies designed by the providers, who seek to beat the market's benchmark returns.

Some global shares did better than ASX shares in FY24.

In the United States, the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) rose by 28.61%, the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) ascended by 22.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) lifted by 13.69%. The MSCI World Index rose by 18.37%.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose by 7.83% (or 12.1% with dividends included).

Global shares ETFs give Aussie investors immediate diversification in terms of stocks and geography in a single trade. The disparities in the performances of ASX shares and US shares outlined above demonstrate how useful geographical diversification can be, with or without hedging to the Australian dollar.

So, which ASX global shares ETFs delivered the best total returns in FY24?

New figures just released by the ASX reveal the top performers of the year. Let's take a look.

Top 6 ASX global shares ETFs for total returns

This article focuses on ETFs that invest in global shares. They include index-based and sector-based ETFs, as well as those operating under a specific strategy designed by their ETF provider.

We've included each ETF's management expense ratio (MER), which is the fee you pay every year. Fees can vary widely between providers, so this is always useful research information.

According to the data, here are the top six global shares ETFs for FY24.

Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP)

The Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF returned 68.49% in FY24. The historical distribution yield is 0%, and the MER is 0.67%.

Global X Ultra Long Nasdaq 100 Complex ETF (ASX: LNAS)

The Global X Ultra Long Nasdaq 100 Complex ETF returned 65.59% in FY24. The historical distribution yield is 24.44%. The MER is 1%.

Global X Semiconductor ETF (ASX: SEMI)

The Global X Semiconductor ETF returned 58.86% in FY24. The historical distribution yield is 3.39%, and the MER is 0.57%.

Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM)

The Betashares Global Uranium ETF returned 57.34% in FY24. The historical distribution yield is 2.04%, and the MER is 0.69%.

Global X Fang+ ETF (ASX: FANG)

The Global X Fang+ ETF returned 51.02% in FY24. The historical distribution yield is 5.27%, and the MER is 0.35%.

Geared US Equity Fund – Currency Hedged (Hedge Fund) (ASX: GGUS)

The Geared US Equity Fund – Currency Hedged ETF returned 49.03% in FY24. The historical distribution yield is 0%, and the MER is 0.80%.

The post These top ASX global shares ETFs delivered stunning returns of 50% to 70% last year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Buying international shares typically involves selecting and signing up to a trading platform that has direct access to other exchanges and paying higher brokerage fees and, often, currency conversion fees.

Buying global shares held in ASX-listed ETFs is just so much easier.

And now, new data released by the ASX gives us a snapshot of which global share-based ASX ETFs are providing the best returns to Australian investors.

Here are the top five performers for total investor returns over the three years to 31 July.

The top 5 ASX ETFs that hold global shares

For the purposes of this article, we're going to focus on the ASX ETFs and managed funds that invest in global shares only based on a certain strategy.

This means we're excluding the index-based and sector-based ETFs and managed funds.

According to the data, here are the top five global shares ETFs or managed funds over the past three years:

• The Vanguard Global Value Equity Active ETF (Managed Fund) (ASX: VVLU) ETF returned an average of 23.61% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends, which have historically averaged a yield of 4.39%.
• Vaneck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT) returned an average of 19.63% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends, which have historically averaged 6.96%.
• BetaShares Geared US Equity Fund Currency Hedged (Hedge Fund) (ASX: GGUS) returned an average of 18.62% per annum. This ETF does not earn dividends.
• The VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) ETF returned an average of 14.71% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends, which have historically averaged 1.1%.
• Global X Ultra Long Nasdaq 100 Hedge Fund (ASX: LNAS) returned an average of 14.69% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends, which have historically averaged 7.26%.

More about the No. 1 ETF

Vanguard Global Value Equity Active ETF (Managed Fund) is an actively managed ASX ETF. It aims to outperform its benchmark by investing in value shares from around the world.

Value shares are stocks that are undervalued based on the company's earnings, assets, and cash flow.

The VVLU ETF's benchmark is the FTSE Developed All-Cap in Australian Dollars Index.

Vanguard describes what type of investor this ASX ETF would suit:

Buy and hold investors seeking outperformance against the index through exposure to the value factor, long-term capital growth, some income, international diversification, and with a higher tolerance for the risks associated with share market volatility.

The top five holdings of the VVLU ETF are Comcast Corporation, Verizon Communications Inc, General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, and Altria Group Inc.

The post Which global share-based ASX ETFs are delivering the best returns for investors? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.