Investors in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: MHOT) will receive the largest payment of $10.99 per unit.

Those who hold the unhedged VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT) will get the second-highest distribution of $7.56 per unit.

These two ETFs are different in that they do not try to mirror the performance of a major index like the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Instead, the MOAT ETFs track about 50 US shares that have significant competitive advantages, or in other words, a wide 'moat'.

The wider the moat, the more protected a company's brand and its products or services are from competitors in the marketplace.

Here is a summary of VanEck ETFs that will be paying dividends to investors today.

It's payday for VanEck ASX ETF investors!

VanEck Global Clean Energy ETF (ASX: CLNE) will pay 7 cents per unit.

VanEck FTSE China A50 ETF (ASX: CETF) will pay $1.27 per unit.

VanEck Global Defence ETF (ASX: DFND) will pay 3 cents per unit. Find out more about this ETF here.

VanEck Morningstar Australian Moat Income ETF (ASX: DVDY) will pay 20 cents per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: ESGI) will pay $2.34 per unit.

VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO) will pay $1.04 per unit.

VanEck Gold Miners ETF (ASX: GDX) will pay 63 cents per unit.

VanEck Morningstar International Wide Moat ETF (ASX: GOAT) will pay $1.66 per unit.

VanEck MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) will pay 57 cents per unit.

VanEck 5-10 Year Australian Government Bond ETF (ASX: 5GOV) will pay 11.5 cents per unit.

VanEck Global Healthcare Leaders ETF (ASX: HLTH) will pay 2 cents per unit.

Here are a few more…

VanEck Australian Property ETF (ASX: MVA) will pay 42 cents per unit.

VanEck Australian Banks ETF (ASX: MVB) will pay 40 cents per unit.

VanEck Australian Resources ETF (ASX: MVR) will pay 51 cents per unit.

VanEck Small Companies Masters ETF (ASX: MVS) will pay 32 cents per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Small Companies Quality ETF (ASX: QSML) will pay 9 cents per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) will pay $1.23 per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Value ETF (ASX: VLUE) will pay $1.02 per unit.

VanEck ETFs among the market's top performers in FY25

According to ASX data, there were two VanEck ETFs among the six best-performing ETFs holding Aussie shares in FY25.

Ranked 4th, the VanEck Australian Banks ETF delivered a total annual return of 24.86%.

Ranked 6th, the VanEck Australian Property ETF produced a total annual return of 22.92%.

Another two VanEck ETFs featured in the six best-performing ETFs holding international shares in FY25.

Check them out here.

The post Invested in ASX MOAT or other VanEck ETFs? It's dividend day! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The ex-dividend date for the distributions listed below is today, 1 July. The record date is 2 July.

The payment date is 25 July.

The biggest payment amount on the VanEck distribution list is a whopper at $10.99 per unit.

That will be paid to investors who own VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: MHOT).

Investors in the unhedged version, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT), will receive the second-highest distribution of $7.56 per unit.

The VanEck Wide Moat ETFs are a bit different to the norm. They do not seek to track the performance of a major index, like most ETFs.

Instead, the ETFs hold a portfolio of about 50 US shares that have significant competitive advantages, or in other words, a wide moat.

Here is a condensed list of VanEck ETFs and how much each ETF will pay in dividends to their investors later this month.

Payday for VanEck ASX ETF investors

VanEck Global Clean Energy ETF (ASX: CLNE) will pay 7 cents per unit.

VanEck FTSE China A50 ETF (ASX: CETF) will pay $1.27 per unit.

VanEck Global Defence ETF (ASX: DFND) will pay 3 cents per unit. Learn more about this ETF here.

VanEck Morningstar Australian Moat Income ETF (ASX: DVDY) will pay 20 cents per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: ESGI) will pay $2.34 per unit.

VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO) will pay $1.04 per unit.

VanEck Gold Miners ETF (ASX: GDX) will pay 63 cents per unit.

VanEck Morningstar International Wide Moat ETF (ASX: GOAT) will pay $1.66 per unit.

VanEck MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) will pay 57 cents per unit.

VanEck 5-10 Year Australian Government Bond ETF (ASX: 5GOV) will pay 11.5 cents per unit.

VanEck Global Healthcare Leaders ETF (ASX: HLTH) will pay 2 cents per unit.

Show us the money! Here are some more…

VanEck Australian Property ETF (ASX: MVA) will pay 42 cents per unit.

VanEck Australian Banks ETF (ASX: MVB) will pay 40 cents per unit.

VanEck Australian Resources ETF (ASX: MVR) will pay 51 cents per unit.

VanEck Small Companies Masters ETF (ASX: MVS) will pay 32 cents per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Small Companies Quality ETF (ASX: QSML) will pay 9 cents per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) will pay $1.23 per unit.

VanEck MSCI International Value ETF (ASX: VLUE) will pay $1.02 per unit.

The post VanEck ASX ETF dividends: How much you'll get and when appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

So, let's take a look at which ETFs investing in Australian shares did best in 2023 based on total returns (that is, share price gains and dividend returns combined).

For the purposes of this article, we're focusing on ETFs that invest in Australian shares only, and with a defined investment strategy. That means we're excluding index-based and sector-based ETFs.

These rankings are based on data just released by the ASX.

The top 5 ASX ETFs for total returns in 2023

There is a clear theme among the best ETFs of last year — environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG).

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

iShares S&P/ASX Dividend Opportunities ESG Screened ETF (ASX: IHD) returned 11.51% in share price growth and distributions over the 12 months of 2023.

iShares Core MSCI Australia ESG Leaders ETF (ASX: IESG) returned 10.73% in 2023.

Vanguard Ethically Conscious Australian Shares ETF (ASX: VETH) returned 9.98% in 2023.

Russell Investments Australian Responsible Investment ETF (ASX: RARI) returned 9.88% in 2023.

VanEck MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) returned 9.83% in 2023.

EGS shares represent companies with good environmental, social, and governance credentials based on certain criteria.

In this era of climate change and decarbonisation, investors are increasingly seeking to support companies that are doing their bit to save the planet, so ESG stocks are becoming more popular.

More about the No. 1 ETF

According to ETF provider Blackrock, the iShares S&P/ASX Dividend Opportunities ESG Screened ETF invests in up to 50 ASX shares that offer high dividend yields and meet certain sustainability tests.

They also have to meet diversification, profitability and tradability requirements.

The IHD ETF closed at $13.88 per share on Thursday, up 0.58% for the day.

Among the top 10 holdings of the IHD ETF are major miners like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), big four banks including Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ), JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH), and QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE).

The post Which ASX ETFs holding Aussie shares delivered the best returns in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This has led to the development of many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and managed funds with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) mandates.

These funds typically comprise ASX and international shares representing companies with strong ESG credentials.

The specifics of these credentials are determined by the providers who design the funds.

For example, a fund provider may only include international and ASX shares that represent businesses with defined net zero targets in their fund.

Regardless of the specific criteria, ESG-focused ASX shares investors enjoy feeling like they're doing their bit for sustainability and climate action.

And that's all well and good.

But how are these ESG-focused funds performing as investments?

A review of returns for ASX shares investors

In this article, we review new data published by the ASX that quantifies the returns of ETFs and managed funds with ESG credentials over the past three years.

Many of these funds are so new that three years of data is not available, so they have been excluded.

That leaves us with eight ETFs and managed funds with three years of data available.

Remember, these ASX-listed funds may invest in either ASX shares or international shares — or both.

Let's take a look.

Best-performing ASX sustainability shares

Over the past three years:

The BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) returned an average of 12.97% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have historically averaged a yield of 4.75%.

The Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares Index ETF (ASX: VESG) returned an average of 12.26% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 1.86%.

The Russell Investments Australian Responsible Investment ETF (ASX: RARI) returned an average of 11.02% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 3.94%.

The Intelligent Investor Ethical Share Fund (Managed Fund) (ASX: INES) returned an average of 10.57% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 0.91%.

The VanEck MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) returned an average of 9.91% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 3.34%.

The iShares S&P/ASX Dividend Opportunities ESG Screened ETF (ASX: IHD) returned an average of 9.89% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 5.14%.

The BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF — Currency Hedged (ASX: HETH) returned an average of 8.77% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 3.84%.

The BetaShares Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) returned an average of 5.53% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 2.12%.

A word on ASX ETHI shares

To give you an idea of how these ESG-focused funds work, let's do a quick profile on the top performing ASX share in this regard.

The BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF aims to track the performance of the Nasdaq Future Global Sustainability Leaders Index (INDEXNASDAQ: NQFGSL) (before fees and expenses).

The index includes a range of large companies identified as climate action leaders.

They operate in a range of industries and locations across the world.

Part of the criteria for inclusion in the index is that none of them have direct or significant exposure to fossil fuels.

Also, none are engaged in activities deemed inconsistent with responsible investment considerations.

About 32% of shares held within the ETHI ETF are global tech stocks.

The top holdings are NVIDIA Corp at 6%, Apple Inc at 4%, and Visa Inc at 4%.

How do the returns compare to index funds?

Let's use three Vanguard index fund products to compare the performance of the ASX sustainability shares listed above.

Are they delivering better returns for investors than plain old index funds?

Over the past three years:

The Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX: VTS) returned an average of 15.37% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have historically averaged a yield of 1.28%.

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) returned an average of 13.62% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 1.87%.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), which tracks the performance of the largest 300 ASX shares, returned an average of 12.32% per annum. This includes reinvested dividends which have averaged a yield of 4.07%.

As you can see, the ASX sustainability shares profiled above have typically delivered lower returns to ESG-focused investors than index funds.

The post Are ASX sustainability shares delivering for ESG investors? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

New Prime Minister and Labor leader Anthony Albanese has promised a 43% reduction in carbon emissions by the year 2030 relative to 2005 levels.

With that backdrop in mind, it's prudent to check in and see how ASX renewable energy shares have tracked in May.

Green shares are in the red

Whilst there's no specific set of indices covering the ESG or renewables segment in Australia, ETFs tracking the sector have stumbled hard in 2022.

The Vaneck MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) has fallen around 6% this month and is down 12% this year to date.

Whereas the Russell Investments Australian Responsible Investment ETF (ASX: RARI) slipped by roughly half that amount in May.

On the individual level, renewable energy players such as Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) have taken a knock in May, trading 3% down month to date.

Meanwhile, other tickers in the space including Genesis Energy Ltd (ASX: GNE) and Hazer Group Ltd (ASX: HZR) have slipped by 5% and 13% this month to date respectively.

It's all relative though, as Einstein might say. Comparing to the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), each of these names – plus ETFs tracking the sector – are trailing the benchmark.

The month to date returns for May in each of these vehicles are plotted on the chart below.

The post How have ASX renewable energy shares been performing in May? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

As a sector – which is still poorly defined on Australian public markets, mind you – renewables have lagged other segments such as financials, utilities and materials this year.

How can we tell? Whilst there's no specific ASX renewables index, EFTs tracking the segment have crept downwards this year, as is shown further below.

Evidently, as markets have endured volatility in 2022, that's translated to a fairly strong headwind for ASX renewables shares, and at the end of the day, the sector is in the red in 2022.

Nonetheless, scaling back to the start of the year, some names have absorbed losses better than others. Let's take a look at those.

'Green' shares aren't in the green

Unfortunately, on an individual stock level, what we define as a 'renewables' share is quite narrow. Actually, there are no real winners per se, but some shares absorbed selling pressures better than others.

Let's talk in terms of energy first and, with that, results aren't good.

Renewables investor Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) is down 2.45% year to date but has whipsawed higher over the past three months. Although, its price chart looks like a 9.0 scale reading on the Richter scale.

Meanwhile, Genesis Energy Ltd (ASX: GNE), owner of a diverse portfolio of thermal and renewable generation assets located in different parts of New Zealand, has slipped 3.3%.

Trends are similar across the board and it appears any capital that's left the sector has been shipped straight across to the adjacent resources, traditional energy, and wider commodities segments.

Alas, it's no better for the exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with the Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares INDEX ETF (ASX: VESG) creeping down by 13%.

Meantime, the VanEck MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) has fallen by more than 5% and is in a similar vein to the product above.

Finally, the Russell Investments Australian Responsible Investment ETF (ASX: RARI) has crept up hard in 2022 and is 4 basis points higher in that time.

It's important to zoom out

Longer term – since last January to be specific – the picture's a bit different. Three of the four securities have remained buoyant over that time, albeit Genesis Energy, which slipped more than 21% into the red.

The VESG ETF seems to have outperformed this bunch and was the star player until volatility crept in this year and it has since consolidated returns.

It has now levelled off and is rangebound alongside the fellow MSCI Australian Sustainability ETF from VanEck.

That's something to think about.

The post Here are the best ASX renewables shares of the year so far appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Breaking down an ESG ETF

When it comes to ethical ESG ETFs, there are normally two classes that a fund will fall into. There are funds that follow a broad market index, such as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), but then 'filter' out any unsavoury companies from the index. And then there are those that invest in a particular ESG-aligned industry, such as renewable energy. There is a big difference between these two approaches.

Let's first look at the index funds. The BetaShares Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) is one such fund. This ETF tracks an index that screens ASX companies based on ESG criteria such as fossil fuel production, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, environmental destruction and animal cruelty. It holds 80 ASX shares, which includes some big names like Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and Xero Limited (ASX: XRO). As such, you are still getting some of the diversification benefits a simple ASX 200 index fund might provide, but without the companies that have been identified as not possessing ESG characteristics.

There are other ASX ESG ETFs that follow a similar methodology. The Vanguard Ethically Conscious Australian Shares ETF (ASX: VETH) is one. The VanEck Vectors MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV) is another. There are even funds available that take this approach and apply it to overseas shares instead of ASX companies. Such funds include the VanEck Vectors MSCI International Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: ESGI) and the BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI).

What about sector-specific ETFs?

That's only one side of the ASX ethical ESG ETF coin though. There are also a number of funds out there that chase specific ESG sectors. Take the ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC). This fund aims to give exposure to "the energy storage and production megatrend, including companies involved in the supply chain and production for battery technology and lithium mining."

Whilst this fund does not have a specific ESG mandate, it is still focused on an industry with 'green' credentials in aiming to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. However, a fund like this arguably provides less diversification than one of the funds named above. That's because all of the holdings in this ETF are companies that operate in a very specific sector.

The same can be said of the VanEck Vectors Global Clean Energy ETF (ASX: CLNE) or the BetaShares Climate Change Innovation ETF (ASX: ERTH).

Whilst there is nothing wrong with this approach, it's worth pointing out that there is a lot more concentration on one particular section of the ESG market. This carries its own set of risks compared to a more diversified fund.

Foolish takeaway

Ethical ESG investing looks as though it's here to stay as an investing trend. But if you are seeking out ESG funds to invest in, make sure you know what kind of exposure you are looking for. Not all ethical ETFs are equal — some of these funds might be offering a portfolio that's too concentrated for your goals, or risk profile. Just because something has 'ESG' or 'ethical' doesn't mean it's automatically a good investment.

The post An ASX investor's guide to ESG-focused ETFs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Every person is different and what we deem to be 'ethical' may vary. However there are some common themes in the investing world that are deemed 'unethical'.

What is deemed 'unethical'?

Generally speaking, unethical investments could be deemed as ones that involve some or all of the following categories:

• Fossil fuels such as oil and gas
• Gambling
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Nuclear power
• Civil or military weapons
• Adult entertainment
• Anything that destroys the environment
• Animal cruelty

That's a big list! 

I would argue that most people are good people. Just because you hold an investment in one of these sectors, this doesn't mean your moral compass is broken. Personally, I buy companies in some of these categories and don't have too much of an issue with it. Of course, I still consider myself a good person. It's really a question of what is good for you personally. If you're generally interested in ETFs, but not too concerned about ensuring all your money goes towards ethical investments, then check out this list of top ETFs.

Some people, however, simply can't live with themselves knowing they have financially contributed to what they consider unethical practices, even if it's indirectly. If you are one of those people, I have good news for you. There are a number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that have you covered. The managers of these funds have set up specific criteria to select companies that avoid 'unethical' categories.

Here are some options for ethical investing:

VanEck Vectors MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX: GRNV)

This ETF is designed to give investors access to a range of Australian sustainable companies.

Materials is the largest sector holding here, weighing in at 22.7%, with financials coming in second at 18.5%.

According to VanEck, this ETF holds companies that have a high level of environmental and social governance (ESG) and relies on the following guiding principles:

• It excludes companies that own any fossil fuel reserves or derive revenue from mining thermal coal or from oil and gas related activities.
• It excludes companies with business activities that are not socially responsible investments (SRI).
• It targets companies with high ESG ratings.

The fees are low at 0.35% per year. Performance wise, the fund is actually down around 9% since inception. On a positive note, it has performed well since the March crash, rising more than 35% in the last 6 months. Dividend returns are quarterly and currently sit at around 4% to 5% return. Detailed information can be found here.

BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI)

This ETF holds global companies that have been identified as 'climate leaders'. 

The largest sector holding is information technology, sitting at around 38%.

Using the fund manager's methodology, we can see themes such as these ones governing the ethical investing inclusion process:

• It excludes those companies involved in firearms, environmental destruction or animal cruelty.
• It excludes companies with fines or convictions and those with human rights concerns.
• These climate change leaders must have a carbon impact of at least 60% less than their industry average.

One thing to note here is that the fees are a little high, being 0.59% per year. Although, personally, I don't think this is too bad. Fund performance is up more than 60% since inception. Over the last 6 months, it has returned around 15% to investors. Dividend returns are 6 monthly and have been as high as 12.80% recently according to the provider's performance reports.

Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares Index ETF (ASX: VESG)

This fund holds some of the largest companies in major developed countries. Finding an ETF that hits all the points we discussed earlier is hard, however, this one certainly tries.

Technology companies make up the largest sector holding at around 26%.

It excludes companies with the following business activities:

• Fossil fuels
• Nuclear power
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Gambling
• Weapons
• Adult entertainment
• Conduct related to severe controversies

One thing I like about this fund is the low management fee. At just 0.18%, it's very competitive in the ETF market. Performance wise, it has returned around 16% since inception. It also rebounded well from the market crash in March. Dividends are paid quarterly and are currently sitting at around a 1.9% to 2% return. A fact sheet can be found here.

Foolish takeaway

Ethical investing can be difficult when there are so many opportunities in the market. At the end of the day, though, these funds and the companies they hold are helping to make the world a better place so I feel they are worthy of consideration.

The great thing about ETFs is that you gain diversity to sectors and industries that interest you. Adding these ethically conscious ETFs to your portfolio may just be the balance and peace of mind you are seeking.

The post Interested in ethical investing? Look at these 3 ETFs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.