For Australians targeting retirement earlier than expected, combining defensive infrastructure, blue-chip retailers, and broad-market ETFs may provide a strong foundation.

The following ASX shares and ETFs offer exposure to dividends, international growth, and long-term economic trends that could support a successful retirement strategy.

APA Group (ASX: APA)

APA Group can play an important role in a retirement portfolio thanks to its stable infrastructure earnings and reliable income generation.

The company owns critical gas pipelines and energy assets across Australia, creating a predictable cash flow that supports attractive dividend payments. For retirement-focused investors seeking passive income, APA's defensive business model may help reduce portfolio volatility during weaker market periods.

While energy regulation and interest rates remain risks, APA continues to benefit from long-term demand for essential infrastructure.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers offers retirement investors exposure to some of Australia's strongest retail and industrial businesses, including Bunnings and Kmart.

The company has a long track record of earnings growth, disciplined capital management, and fully-franked dividends. Those qualities make it a popular core holding for long-term retirement investing.

Wesfarmers also provides diversification across retail, chemicals, healthcare, and industrial operations, helping strengthen portfolio resilience through economic cycles.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Transurban is another infrastructure giant that may suit retirement investors seeking stable long-term returns.

The company operates major toll roads across Australia and North America, generating recurring revenue linked to population growth and rising traffic volumes.

Infrastructure assets like toll roads often deliver inflation-linked earnings, which can become increasingly valuable during retirement when preserving purchasing power matters.

Although higher interest rates can pressure infrastructure valuations, Transurban's long-term growth outlook remains attractive.

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund (ASX: STW)

The ASX ETF STW offers investors simple exposure to Australia's largest listed companies.

For retirement planning, broad diversification can reduce reliance on individual stock performance. STW spreads investments across banks, miners, healthcare companies, and industrial businesses in a single ETF.

The fund also provides dividend income and long-term exposure to Australia's economy without requiring constant portfolio management.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

This ETF gives retirement investors access to leading US companies, including major technology and consumer brands.

International diversification is important for retirement portfolios because it reduces dependence on the Australian economy alone.

The S&P 500 has historically delivered strong long-term growth, driven by innovation and global corporate leadership. For younger investors targeting early retirement, exposure to high-quality US businesses could significantly boost long-term compounding returns.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF expands retirement diversification even further by investing across global developed markets.

The ETF holds hundreds of international companies across the US, Europe, and Asia. That global exposure can help smooth returns and provide access to industries less represented on the ASX.

For investors building wealth steadily over decades, VGS may become a powerful retirement compounding tool.

The post Fast-track your retirement with these ASX shares and ETFs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Retiring early isn't just about earning more, it's about investing smarter. The key is blending high-quality ASX stocks with diversified ETFs that can compound returns over time.

Here's one way to approach it.

Start with proven ASX blue chips

The ASX 50 is home to some of the market's most established businesses and a few stand out for their mix of income and growth.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) remains a cornerstone for many portfolios. While not the cheapest bank, it has a long track record of delivering consistent dividends and solid returns, making it a reliable income generator.

Another dependable name is Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES). With exposure to retail through Bunnings, Kmart, and Officeworks, Wesfarmers has delivered steady earnings growth and a solid dividend profile over time.

For growth with a defensive edge, CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) is hard to ignore. It doesn't typically offer high yields, but its long-term earnings growth has been a major driver of shareholder returns.

Together, these three ASX shares provide a balance of income, resilience, and growth to shave years off retirement.

Add ETFs for diversification and consistency

While individual stocks can perform strongly, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) help smooth out the ride and reduce company-specific risk.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund (ASX: STW) offers broad exposure to Australia's largest companies, tracking the ASX 200. It provides instant diversification and access to dividend income across the market.

For global growth, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) gives investors exposure to major international markets, including the US and Europe. This adds access to global leaders, particularly in sectors like technology that are underrepresented on the ASX.

Together, these ETFs help ensure your portfolio isn't overly reliant on a handful of local stocks.

Why this mix works

Early retirement isn't built on a single winning stock, it's the result of consistent compounding.

Dividend-paying shares like CBA and Wesfarmers can provide regular income that can be reinvested, while growth names like CSL help lift the overall value of your portfolio over time.

Meanwhile, ETFs like STW and VGS provide diversification and reduce the risk of major setbacks from any one company or sector.

The result is a portfolio designed to grow steadily while generating income along the way.

Foolish Takeaway

Shaving years off your retirement timeline doesn't require risky bets or perfect timing. By combining high-quality ASX shares with low-cost ETFs, investors can build a portfolio that balances income, growth, and diversification.

Stick with it, reinvest consistently, and let compounding do the heavy lifting.

The post How to shave a decade off retirement with 3 ASX stocks and ETFs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

If the goal is to bring retirement a little closer, a well-chosen mix of ASX-listed ETFs can do much of the heavy lifting.

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW)

A core holding to consider is the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF. This ASX ETF tracks the Australian share market, giving investors exposure to leading companies across sectors like banking, mining, and healthcare.

The main holdings of this fund are currently Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), which account for almost 11% each. It also offers income through dividends, making it a solid foundation for long-term investors.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

To complement that, global diversification is essential. The iShares S&P 500 ETF provides exposure to the 500 largest US companies, including major technology and consumer giants.

This adds a powerful growth engine, tapping into innovation trends that aren't as prominent locally.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

For broader international exposure beyond the US, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF spreads investments across developed markets like Europe and Japan. This reduces reliance on any single economy and helps smooth returns over time.

Investors looking to tilt further toward growth could also consider the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ). This ASX ETF focuses on leading technology companies listed on the Nasdaq. Shares like NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) offer higher growth potential, though with more volatility along the way.

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Listed Property Fund (ASX: SLF)

Income still plays an important role in retirement planning. The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Listed Property Fund provides exposure to Australian real estate investment trusts (REITs), which can generate regular income while offering long-term capital growth.

So how does this mix work together?

It creates balance. Australian equities provide income and stability. Global ASX ETFs add diversification and growth. Property introduces another income stream and asset class. Together, they help manage risk while keeping the portfolio positioned for long-term returns.

Over time, consistency matters more than short-term market movements. Regular investing, reinvesting dividends, and staying invested through volatility can significantly improve outcomes.

The key advantage of ETFs is simplicity. Instead of trying to pick winners, investors gain exposure to entire markets in a single trade. That makes it easier to stay disciplined and focused on the bigger picture.

No strategy guarantees early retirement. But a diversified ASX ETF portfolio like this can provide a strong foundation, one that steadily builds wealth and helps bring financial independence within reach.

The post Want to fast-track retirement? These ASX ETFs could get you there appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

For investors seeking a simple, 'set and forget' approach, a diversified portfolio with exchange-traded funds can offer exactly that. By spreading your money across markets, sectors, and asset classes, you reduce the impact of any single downturn.

Here's an ASX ETF mix designed to balance growth and defense.

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund (ASX: STW)

This ASX ETF provides exposure to 200 of the largest companies on the Australian share market, offering a solid foundation of income and stability.

Two of its biggest holdings include blue chips BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). They're household names with strong market positions and consistent dividend histories.

The fund's broad diversification across sectors like banking, mining, and healthcare helps smooth returns over time.

Fees are also relatively low, with a management cost of around 0.13% per year. This makes it a cost-effective way to access the Australian market.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

To truly weather market shocks, diversification beyond Australia is essential — and that's where this Vanguard ASX ETF comes in.

This ETF tracks a broad index of developed markets, giving investors exposure to global giants such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT).

These companies benefit from global revenue streams, strong competitive advantages, and long-term growth trends in technology and innovation.

VGS also comes with a low management fee of around 0.18%, making it an efficient way to tap into international markets.

BetaShares Global Government Bond 20+ Year ETF (ASX: GGOV)

While shares drive long-term growth, bonds play a crucial role during downturns.

This ASX ETF invests in long-dated government bonds from major economies, which have historically performed well during periods of equity market stress. When share markets fall, bond prices often rise, helping to cushion portfolio losses.

This fund focuses on high-quality sovereign issuers such as the US Treasury and other developed market governments.

The trade-off is a slightly higher fee of around 0.35%, but many investors consider it worthwhile for the added diversification and downside protection.

Why this mix works?

This three ASX ETF portfolio blends income and stability from Australian shares, growth potential from global equities and defensive protection from government bonds

Just as importantly, it keeps costs low — a key driver of long-term returns. With all three ASX ETFs charging relatively modest fees, more of your money stays invested and compounding over time.

Foolish Takeaway

No portfolio can eliminate volatility entirely. But by combining broad diversification with low costs and a defensive component, this ASX ETF mix is designed to help investors stay the course.

And in investing, staying invested – especially during market crashes – is often what makes the biggest difference over the long run.

The post The stress-free ASX ETF portfolio built to weather market crashes appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

However, it's my view that these balanced options are not a great fit for everyone. As I've discussed before, Australians under the age of 40 might be better off investing in a more growth-oriented fund that forgoes the stability that cash and bonds provide for a higher potential return by going all in shares. As anyone under 40 probably isn't going to retire anytime soon, stability and capital protection arguably shouldn't be high priorities at this stage of life.

When it comes to my own superannuation, I've put my money where my mouth is. My superannuation provider offers the choice of selecting individual index funds that I can invest my super into. So today, let's talk about the three ASX ETFs that I use within my super fund to achieve the best returns possible. The funds themselves aren't publicly traded, but have ASX counterparts which are essentially the same offering.

Three ASX ETFs that I've built my super fund around

Australian and international stocks

First up, we have a good old-fashioned S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fund. Roughly 40% of my super fund goes towards an ASX 200 index fund, one rather similar to the iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) or the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW). This fund holds the largest 200 stocks on the ASX. That's everything from Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) to JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) and Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN).

This index fund represents the best of Australian business. As ASX shares have historically delivered meaningful growth and healthy dividend income, I am very happy for this fund to receive some of my retirement cash.

Next up, another 50% or so of my super capital goes towards an international shares ETF. This ETF holds hundreds of different stocks from dozens of advanced economies around the world. These include the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and France, among many others. A listed equivalent might be the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

Australia is a wonderful place to invest, but its best companies simply don't have the firepower that international markets do. That's why I'm happy that this component of my super fund invests in world-dominating stocks like Apple, Amazon, NVIDIA, Mastercard, Alphabet, Toyota and Nestle.

Adding some diversity to my super fund

My super fund's final holding, making up that final 10% or so, provides even more diversification. It is an emerging markets fund, drawing thousands of holdings from emerging economies around the globe. An ASX equivalent might be the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Shares ETF (ASX: VGE). It offers exposure to countries like China, India and Taiwan. I think these economies will offer a lot of growth over the next few decades, and, as such, I am happy to have part of my super fund invested there.

Foolish takeaway

As I am still a few decades away from the traditional retirement age, I am happy to have 100% of my super fund invested in shares. With the three ETFs mentioned above, I feel that I have adequate diversification across multiple markets and currencies, whilst still maintaining exposure to some of the world's best companies. Individually selecting these investments also keeps my super costs as low as possible, which is of vital importance for building wealth over decades.

The post Here are the 3 ASX ETFs I use for my super fund appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It is made up of the 200 largest Australian companies based on market cap.

It is heavily weighted towards Australia's largest companies like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and mining giants like BHP Group (ASX: BHP). 

Because these companies are significantly larger than most of the others, the ASX 200 index is largely influenced by how these blue-chip companies perform. 

For example, CBA is twice as big as the next largest bank and almost 5x larger than the 11th largest company listed on the ASX. 

How did the ASX 200 perform this year

The ASX 200 index started the year at 8,201 points. 

It dropped significantly from February to early April, declining more than 14% in that span. 

This was largely due to a strong sell-off in early April as investors reacted to Tariff news from the US. 

After this initial panic, the ASX 200 steadily recovered. 

Prior to Christmas eve, it closed trading at 8,795.70 points, which is an overall rise of 7.25% for the year. 

Overall this sits just below, but close to an average year for the index. 

Motley Fool research shows the ASX 200 has compounded at roughly 9% per annum over the last 10 years, dividends included.

How does this compare to the US?

Two of the key indexes investors pay close attention to in the US are the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) and the NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX). 

The first, the S&P 500 index, is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities. 

The index includes 500 leading companies and covers approximately 80% of available market capitalisation.

Meanwhile, the Nasdaq 100 Index includes 100 of the world's largest non-financial companies listed on the broader Nasdaq sharemarket. 

As a collection of dynamic companies at the forefront of innovation, the Nasdaq 100 Index has come to represent the 'new economy'. 

This year, the S&P 500 Index has risen 17.21%. 

Meanwhile, the NASDAQ-100 Index has risen 21.39%. 

Since 1985 (until December 2024), the NASDAQ-100 index has provided an average annual return of 14.25%, compared to 11.57% for the S&P 500. 

How do investors get exposure?

For investors looking to track these Australian and global indexes, there are many ASX ETFs to choose from. 

For exposure to the ASX 200, some options include: 

• BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200)
• iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ)
• SPDR S&P/asx 200 Fund (ASX: STW)

To track the S&P 500: 

• iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)
• SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ASX: SPY)

To track the NASDAQ 100, investors can consider: 

• BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)
• Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF – Currency Hedged (ASX: HNDQ)

The post Did the ASX 200, NASDAQ 100, or S&P 500 perform better this year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Last month alone, Aussie investors ploughed $5 billion into ASX ETFs. 

According to Betashares, that was the second time the industry has seen more than $5 billion of inflows into ETFs in a single month.

ASX ETFs holding international stocks took the lion's share of that inflow at $1.9 billion, with Aussies enthusiastically embracing ETFs as an easy way to tap into overseas markets. 

ASX ETFs make investing comparatively easier by offering baskets of stocks that can be purchased in a single online trade for one brokerage fee. 

Most ETFs follow an index, and there is an index for almost anything you want to invest in these days.

Some of the indices that ETFs track include benchmark indices, like the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in Australia and the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) in the US.

There are also strategy-based indices like the Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY), which is the largest dividend-strategy ETF on the Aussie market. 

There are also industry-based ETFs, like the Betashares Global Gold Miners Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: MNRS) – which was the best performing ASX ETF last month, and sector-based indices like the VanEck Global Healthcare Leaders ETF (ASX: HLTH).

Then there's the thematic ETFs, such as the VanEck Global Defence ETF (ASX: DFND), which has shot the lights out, and the Video Games and Esports ETF (ASX: GAME), which is capitalising on the worldwide video gaming craze. 

You can get an idea of which ASX ETFs are the most popular with Aussie investors by their market capitalisation. 

Market cap is simply the unit price of the ETF multiplied by the number of units issued in the marketplace.

Here are the 8 most popular ASX ETFs today

The post 8 most popular ASX ETFs on the market today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

On Tuesday, we saw scores of internationally-focused ETFs reach either 52-week highs, multi-year highs, or all-time record prices.

Some of the most popular ETFs were among them, such as iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV), Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ), Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS), Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG), and iShares Global 100 AUD ETF (ASX: IOO).

The ETFs soared due to ongoing strength in the US market, with the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) smashing another all-time high this week.

Over the years, Aussies have enthusiastically invested billions in ASX ETFs to gain easy, diversified exposure to international shares.

This trend continues today, with a record $5.28 billion invested in July alone.

Next week, scores of ETFs go ex-dividend, which means time is running out for investors who may want to top up their holdings.

To receive an ETF's next dividend, you must buy or already own the ETF before its ex-dividend date.

We provide a sample of ETFs going ex-dividend below.

If you want to buy any of these ETFs to score their next dividend (or 'distribution') payments, you'd better be quick!

24 ASX ETFs with ex-dividend dates next week

At this stage, most providers have only released estimated distribution amounts. They will release finalised figures in due course.

The post 24 ASX ETFs going ex-dividend next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's been a great week for the market after an interest rate cut on Tuesday and data showing lower unemployment in July on Thursday.

Hence, the ASX 200's record high was reset on Tuesday, Thursday, and again this afternoon.

What's happening with the ASX 200 on Friday?

Reporting season continues, with ASX 200 healthcare giant Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) releasing its full-year FY25 results today.

Cochlear reported a 9% increase in statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) to $389 million for FY25 and a final dividend of $2.15 per share.

Investors appear nonplussed by the numbers, with the Cochlear share price down 0.25% to $305.35 at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) shares are leading the ASX 200 today, rising 9.45% to an intraday peak of $29.64 after the company announced a $1.1 billion acquisition.

Here are the other top risers today.

Fastest rising ASX 200 shares on Friday

Source: asx.com.au at time of writing

ASX shares hitting multi-year highs today

Meanwhile, a bunch of ASX 200 shares have reached multi-year high share prices today.

Here is a sample.

Source: Google Finance at the time of writing

Popular ASX ETFs reach new price milestones on Friday

Some popular ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also reached new record price levels today.

They include:

Source: Google Finance at the time of writing

Yesterday, we reported that Australians ploughed a record $5.82 billion into ASX ETFs last month.

What's on next week?

ASX 200 investors are gearing up for a big week next week.

Many ASX 200 heavyweights are due to release their latest financial reports.

They include BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Ampol, Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST), and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO).

There will also be strong interest in the results from Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP), Charter Hall Group, and HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB).

The post Oops, the ASX 200 did it again! Another record high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Betashares data shows the unprecedented inflow, combined with a positive market performance, pushed the total value of the ASX ETF industry to a fresh all-time high of $289.2 billion in funds under management (FUM).

That's an $8.7 billion, or 1%, rise for the month, incorporating the $5.82 billion invested and a $2.88 billion combined gain in value.

The July figure smashed the previous monthly record set in January by more than $1 billion.

ETFs holding international shares lead the charge

ETFs holding international equities attracted the lion's share of new money in July, receiving $2.8 billion in net inflows.

This was more than double the next most popular category, fixed income ETFs, which attracted $1.3 billion in net inflows.

ASX ETFs holding Australian shares took third place with $962 million in net inflows.

Australian investors are increasingly looking offshore for portfolio growth opportunities.

An incredible three-year run for US equities has inspired locals to look further afield than the local bourse.

Investing in global equities is made much easier for investors through the availability of ETFs traded on the ASX or CBOE exchanges.

This avoids having to trade directly on international exchanges.

At the end of July, there were 430 exchange-traded products available on the ASX and CBOE Australia.

No new funds were launched during the month.

By the way, we recently looked at whether ASX shares might outperform global equities in the new financial year. Check it out!

Why do Aussie investors love ASX ETFs?

Strong investor appetite in July reflected rising confidence in ASX ETFs as a simple, low-cost way to build a diversified portfolio.

ETFs enable investors to buy a basket of shares, usually tracking a specific index, through a single trade for one brokerage fee.

They are less volatile than individual ASX shares, and they remove the need to spend hours researching individual companies.

ASX 200 ETFs crack records on Thursday

Several ASX ETFs tracking the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) hit record highs today.

This followed yet another resetting of the ASX 200 record amid news that unemployment fell in July.

The ASX 200 Index hit a fresh peak of 8,899.1 points on Thursday, up 0.82%.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW) hit a record of $80.03 today.

The iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) reached a record $35.79 per unit.

The positive jobs data, which lifts the chances of another interest rate cut, sent the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) to a record high of 8,840.1 points, too.

The market's most popular ETF, the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), which tracks the ASX 300, followed suit.

The VAS ETF rose to a record $110.32 today.

The post Why investors ploughed a record $5.82 billion into ASX ETFs last month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

ASX 200 utilities, financials, and consumer discretionary shares dragged the market to its new peak today.

The new record followed a 0.25% interest rate cut announced by the Reserve Bank of Australia in the afternoon.

Several ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking the ASX 200 Index also hit record highs today.

They included the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW), which peaked at $79.83 per unit.

The Betashares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) hit $148 per unit.

The iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) reached $35.69 per unit.

The rate cut also resulted in a new record high for the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) at 8,825.5 points.

This sent the biggest Aussie ETF, the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), to a new peak of $110.

7 ASX 200 stocks also set records today

A bunch of individual ASX 200 stocks hit new price peaks today.

Here is a sample.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

This ASX 200 technology darling ascended to a record high of $43.34.

Life360 shares surged 8% on Tuesday after the family location app provider released its June quarter report.

The tech share was the fastest riser of the ASX 200 today.

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas share price lifted to a 13-year high of $13.31.

Top broker Macquarie has an underperform rating with a price target of $9 on the ASX 200 rare earths stock.

Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

This ASX 200 real estate investment trust (REIT) lifted to a four-year high of $21.94 today.

Charter Hall was the No. 1 property stock for price growth in FY25.

GPT Group (ASX: GPT)

Another ASX 200 property stock, GPT Group, rose to a three-year high of $5.22 on Tuesday.

Macquarie has an outperform rating on GPT Group shares with a 12-month price target of $5.36.

Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR)

Deterra Royalties shares lifted to a 15-month high of $4.49 on Tuesday.

WAM Capital Ltd (ASX: WAM)

This ASX 200 listed investment company (LIC) matched its near two-year high of $1.72, reached last Thursday, today.

WAM Capital released its July investment update today.

IMDEX Ltd (ASX: IMD)

This ASX 200 materials stock rose to a record high of $3.34.

Fund manager L1 Capital has a buy rating on IMDEX shares.

The fundie continues to see "positive tailwinds for the business, above and beyond the improving market environment …".

The post 7 ASX 200 stocks soar to multi-year highs amid new market record appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Except for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ASX: SPY), the ex-dividend date for the distributions listed below is today.

The payment date is 11 July.

Here are the details.

How much will SPDR ASX ETF investors get?

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW) will pay 66.6712 cents in cash per unit. The ETF will also pay 13.5988 cents worth of franking credits and 0.2108 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P/ASX iBoxx Australian Government Bond ETF (ASX: GOVT) will pay 18.0410 cents in cash per unit.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ESG ETF (ASX: E200) will pay 107.1402 cents in cash per unit, plus 5.0135 cents worth of franking credits and 0.0323 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 50 ETF (ASX: SFY) will pay 64.0319 cents in cash per unit plus 13.2627 cents worth of franking credits.

The SPDR MSCI Australia Select High Dividend Yield ETF (ASX: SYI) will pay 264.7328 cents in cash per unit. The ETF will also pay 7.8319 cents worth of franking credits and 0.0002 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries ETF (ASX: SSO) will pay 21.5897 cents in cash per unit, plus 6.9222 cents worth of franking credits and 0.1865 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Resources ETF (ASX: OZR) will pay 20.6316 cents in cash per unit, plus 8.0525 cents worth of franking credits and 0.03770 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

But wait, there's more!

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Listed Property ETF (ASX: SLF) will pay 31.5595 cents in cash per unit. The ETF will also pay 0.0144 cents worth of franking credits and 0.0475 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR MSCI World Quality Mix ETF (ASX: QMIX) will pay 109.9871 cents in cash per unit, plus 0.5967 cents worth of franking credits and 6.4629 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (AUS) (ASX: WDIV) will pay 125.7777 cents in cash per unit, plus 0.0365 cents worth of franking credits and 9.1763 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P World ex Australia Carbon Aware ETF (ASX: WXOZ) will pay 345.1500 cents in cash per unit. The ETF will also pay 11.4313 cents worth of foreign tax credits.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Financials Ex-A-REIT Fund ETF (ASX: OZF) will pay 70.5192 cents in cash per unit plus 11.4581 cents worth of franking credits.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ASX: SPY) will pay US 1.761117 cents in cash per unit. The ex-dividend date was 20 June. The expected pay date for ASX investors is 14 August. State Street will announce the foreign exchange rate for the conversion into Australian currency in due course.

The post Own SPDR ASX ETFs? Here is your next dividend and when you'll receive it appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Let's examine the two and look at the pros and cons of both. 

What are ASX 200 shares 

In simple terms, "ASX 200" refers to the 200 largest companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange measured by market capitalisation. 

There are more than 2000 listed companies, so these top 200 are generally considered safer.

Some of the largest include household names like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) or Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS). 

Sometimes companies like these are referred to as "blue-chip" stocks, representing financial stability, long-term growth, and a strong track record.

Why invest in them?

Investors might turn to ASX 200 shares due to a proven track record of solid returns. 

For example, 5 years ago, Commonwealth Bank shares were trading for around $60 each. Now they are trading at $166 a share. 

While this growth isn't guaranteed for all of these stocks, this is likely the goal of ASX 200 investors. They aim for solid long term growth. 

Secondly, these companies often pay dividends. 

Companies pay dividends to shareholders from the profit they make, which can provide passive income, regardless of whether a share price is going up or down. 

ASX 200 ETFs

Another option for investors looking to gain exposure to these ASX 200 stocks is to invest in an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).

An ETF is a basket of shares that can be bought with one trade. This allows you to diversify your portfolio and invest in all ASX 200 stocks at once. 

Research shows the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) has compounded at more than 9% per annum over the last 10 years, dividends included.

So while you won't get rich overnight, an ETF that tracks the ASX 200 could bring you solid long term growth. 

ASX 200 tracking ETFs include: 

• iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ)
• SPDR S&p/asx 200 Fund (ASX: STW)

Small cap stocks

A small cap stock typically ranks 101-300 in the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) and has a market-cap ranging from a few hundred million to $2 billion. 

These smaller companies generally aren't household names, but the upside can be higher than blue-chip companies.

In fact, many large-cap stocks started their professional lives as speculative small caps. 

The case for small caps stocks is simple, getting a future blue-chip at an extremely low value. 

A perfect example of this would be CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL). 

In the early 2000s it had a market capitalisation of $100 million and a share price of around $6.00 in the early 2000s. 

Today, it has a market cap of $113.86 billion and a share price of $240.79. 

This kind of future growth is essentially impossible for a blue-chip company. 

However, with greater potential upside comes greater risk, as some of these are yet to turn a profit or are still in relatively early stages of business.

In summary, small cap companies may have greater growth prospects than their larger peers, but they also tend to be more volatile than larger-cap stocks.

Small cap ETFs

While we all dream of getting in early on the next Meta (Facebook) or Amazon, correctly predicting the next small cap gem is tricky.

One option is to buy an ETF that gives exposure to multiple at once. 

One such ETF is the VanEck MSCI International Small Cos Quality ETF (ASX: QSML). 

It provides exposure to 150 of the world's highest-quality small companies.

Since its inception in 2021, it has risen 44%. 

The post Building a market beating portfolio: ASX 200 stocks vs small caps appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After the initial tariff announcement, the US then decided to reduce the tariff rate on most goods from most countries to 10%.

The ASX 200 has managed to undo some of the April pain.

To investors who are worried that they've missed the low, I want to reassure them with a few points.

The ASX 200 is still noticeably down

Without a crystal ball, we don't know if we've seen the low point for the ASX 200 in 2025 or during Trump's presidency.

Even if we have seen the low point, as brief as it was, the ASX 200 is still materially down from its 2025 peak in February. It's down 6.9% from 14 February 2025, which I'd still describe as a sizeable decline.

If I were wanting to invest at a good share price, I'd still suggest the current valuation of the market still represents a good decline to pick up assets at a cheaper price. Aside from the recent decline, the last time the market was trading at this level was in September 2024 – more than six months ago.

Plenty of great opportunities around

I've only been talking about the ASX 200 in this article up until now, which we can gain access to with iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) and SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW).

While the ASX 200 has recovered, I think there are still plenty of appealing opportunities out there that could beat the market.

Some of the funds exposed to the US share market are down further than the ASX 200, and they look good value to me, such as Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) or the Global X Fang+ ETF (ASX: FANG).

Fund managers that have been sold off could be candidates to rebound when market confidence returns. I'm currently attracted to names like HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC), GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) and Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI).

Finally, there are individual ASX growth shares that look appealing to me such as Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR), Guzman Y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG) and Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA).

We can still do plenty of investing in the future

For anyone feeling disappointed that they didn't manage to take advantage of the recent low, I wouldn't be discouraged. It's not as though you'd be investing a lifetime's worth of investing in those few April days.

On top of that, I highly doubt that early April 2025 is going to be the last time we see a heavy decline of the share market this decade.

I believe there will be plenty of opportunities to invest in the coming months and years, so there's no need to feel too much disappointment or FOMO. I'm planning to do plenty more investing in the coming years and I'm sure we'll be able to find bargains.

The post The ASX 200 is up more than 8% since 7 April, is it still a good time to invest? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But how much exactly would a $20,000 investment in the ASX 200 at the start of 2024 be worth today? That's what we'll be digging into in a moment.

How to invest in the ASX 200

To start things off, though, let's clarify what 'investing in the ASX 200' actually means. The ASX 200 index is, well, an index. It measures the performance of the largest 200 stocks on the Australian share market, weighted by market capitalisation (meaning the largest companies have more influence in the index than the smaller ones).

You cannot invest directly in an index – it is simply a method of organising our share market into an easy-to-understand metric.

However, you can invest in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that aims to track this index as closely as possible by building a portfolio that matches the allocations of the index in question. ETFs that aim to do this are appropriately called 'index funds'.

There are a few index funds listed on our share market that provide access to an ASX 200 portfolio. These tend to work in a simple way. If the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), for example, makes up 10.63% of the ASX 200 index (as it currently does), then an ASX 200 index fund will allocate 10.63% of its portfolio to CBA shares.

That's how you can easily invest in the ASX 200.

Putting $20k into the Australian share market

Several ASX 200 index funds are available on our share market. These all offer essentially the same service. For simplicity's sake, we'll use the oldest of these to work out how much a $20,000 investment has performed since the start of 2024.

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund (ASX: STW) has been listed on our share market for more than two decades. As such, someone who purchased this index fund back at its inception in August 2001 would have essentially enjoyed the returns of the ASX 200 index ever since.

At the start of 2024, STW units were asking $68.16 each, meaning that a $20,000 investment would have gotten an investor 293 units with some change left over.

At the close of trade on Tuesday, those same units were priced at $74.28 each. That means our 293 units would be worth $21,764.04 at this pricing. It's better than a poke in the eye, but not too objectively impressive.

However, we haven't accounted for dividend returns yet. Dividends form a major component of the returns that the typical ASX investor enjoys on our stock market. In fact, they usually provide the lion's share of ASX 200 returns.

Like most ASX index funds, STW pays out dividend distributions every quarter.

Over 2024, investors enjoyed an annual distribution total of $2.45.

For our investor with 293 STW units, this would be worth an additional $717.85 in dividend income.

Adding that to our $21,764.04 and we get to a grand total of $22,481.89. That's a return worth more than 12% over the past 12 months – not a bad effort for a simple old index fund.

The post $20,000 invested in the ASX 200 at the start of 2024 is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Whether it's buying into managed funds, listed investment companies (LICs), or actively managed ETFs, many Australian investors entrust highly paid professional fund managers to get the best bang for their buck from the markets.

The conventional wisdom is that highly paid, highly educated professionals who spend their entire working day analysing individual stocks to find the best performers on the markets can easily outperform a simple index fund.

However, this conventional wisdom is wrong, at least according to an analysis by one of the world's largest financial companies. S&P Global is the name behind famous indexes like the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) and our own S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Twice every year, S&P Global uses its SPIVA Scorecard to rank the performances of fund managers in a market against the returns of that market's basic index.

So how many professional fund managers were able to beat the returns of the ASX 200 Index over the ten years to 30 June 2024, do you think? 80%? 50%?

If you guessed those numbers, you'd be way off.

How to beat 82% of ASX fund managers

According to S&P Global, a mere 17.84% of fund managers beat the ASX 200 over the ten years to 30 June 2024. Yep, a whopping 82.16% of professional fund managers couldn't even beat a basic index of Australian shares.

This means that buying a simple ASX 200 ETF back in July 2014 would have been a statistically sensible decision. You would have received a better return over the subsequent decade than more than four out of every five professional ASX fund managers.

This superior return would have cost you less as well. Most simple ASX 200 index funds charge annual management fees of less than 0.1%. In contrast, a professionally managed fund typically charges its customers anything between 0.5% and 1.5% per annum. If one has $10,000 to invest, that's the difference between paying $10 and $150 in fees every year.

If S&P Global's statistics are to be believed, that would equate to paying more money for less returns.

So, if you've been considering investing in a managed fund on the ASX, you might want to consider the iShares S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ), the BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200), or the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund ETF (ASX: STW) instead.

The post Want to outperform 82% of professional fund managers? Buy these ASX ETFs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Yep, the ASX 200 clocked a new record of 8,331.7 points this afternoon. It's the first time in history that the index has been over the 8,300 threshold.

As you would expect, this new high has filtered through to many ASX 200 shares, which, as we just mentioned, have also hit new records. But let's discuss the ASX ETFs that have just scaled new heights.

5 ASX ETFs that just clocked new all-time highs

First up is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS). VGS units closed at $129.31 each yesterday but opened at $130.59 this morning before rising as high as $130.87, the highest this index fund has ever traded at.

Next, we have another Vanguard fund, the Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX: VTS). VTS units shut up shop yesterday at $424.96 each but opened this morning at $429.25 before rising as high as $430.05 over today's session. You guessed it, that also happens to be a new record.

Then there's another popular ASX ETF in the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) to consider. IVV finished Monday's trading at $57.45 but opened at $58.05 this morning before climbing up to $58.22. That's this index fund's new high watermark.

An ASX ETF and index fund is next, with the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW) joining the party today. STW units concluded yesterday's session at a price of $74.36 but opened at $74.83 this morning before rising to a high of $75.16. Again, that figure is this fund's new all-time record high.

Finally, a thematic ASX ETF rounds out our list today. The BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK). HACK units started the morning's trading at $12.62 after closing at $12.61 yesterday evening. But during intra-day trading, those units got up as high as $12.67. Once more, that's this ASX ETF's new record high.

Why are these ETFs hitting new records today?

We don't have to look too far to see why these ASX ETFs are all clocking new records this Tuesday. Firstly, The SPDR ASX 200 ETF is merely following its ASX 200 benchmark. As an index fund, STW tries to mirror its benchmark index as closely as possible. With the ASX 200 Index hitting its own record today, it's no surprise to see an ASX 200-tracking index fund like STW follow suit.

It's a similar story with the iShares S&P 500 ETF. Overnight, the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX), which IVV tracks, clocked a new record high of 5,871.41 points. So again, it's not too startling to see IVV units take their cues from this high on the ASX today.

This also extends to the Vanguard US Total Markets ETF. VTS is very similar in nature to IVV and represents an investment in the entire US stock market, as opposed to IVV, which reflects the performance of the 500 largest American stocks. With the S&P 500 setting new records overnight, it makes sense that a complete US markets index fund is following in its footsteps.

US markets drive new highs

The Vanguard International Shares ETF is a more interesting case. This ETF doesn't solely track US shares, offering exposure to more than 20 different countries' stock markets. However, US shares still make up the lion's share of VGS' weighted portfolio. Clearly, these stocks have driven VGS to its new record too.

Finally, the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF isn't a traditional index fund, only offering investors a portfolio of global cybersecurity companies.

Overnight, many of HACK's top stocks (which also happen to mostly be American) inched closer to their own 52-week highs. Those included Palo Alto, Broadcom, and Cisco Systems. It seems that these gains have percolated into HACK units' stellar ASX performance this Tuesday.

Let's see what happens with these ASX ETFs over the rest of the week.

The post 5 popular ASX ETFs smashing new record highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

According to its provider, State Street, the STW ETF currently has assets under management (AUM) of approximately A$5.3 billion.

It tracks the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), one of the key ASX benchmarks, which enables investors to access 200 of the largest businesses in Australia.

Before deciding whether to buy the STW ETF for the long term, let's examine some of its main attributes.

Key characteristics of the STW ETF

Firstly, it invests in all the ASX large-cap shares in the ASX 200.

The top 10 positions currently are BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

At 30 June 2024, the biggest 10 positions made up 48.82% of the STW ETF portfolio.

It owns another 190 businesses in the portfolio, but the biggest 10 have the highest weighting and the largest influence on the STW ETF's annual returns.

As of June 2024, three industries had a weighting of at least 10% in terms of sector allocation: financials (31.71%), materials (20.7%), and healthcare (10%).

One of the most important aspects of this ASX ETF is its very low management fee cost. For this fund, the management costs are just 0.05% per year, making it one of the lowest-cost ETFs on the market.

State Street notes a few other interesting statistics that may be useful to know for investors.

At 30 June 2024, the STW ETF had a dividend yield (excluding franking credits) of 3.74%, a price/earnings (P/E) ratio of 17 and a return on equity (ROE) of 16.5%.

Is it a good long-term buy?

This is one of the most popular ways for investors to get a simple allocation to the ASX share market in one investment.

We can get exposure to all of the ASX blue-chip shares for a very low management fee.

However, the main drawback for me is that it's quite heavily focused on a small number of companies from two main industries – financials and resources. That's just a reflection of what businesses are on the ASX, but other ASX ETFs can offer more exposure to faster-growing industries such as technology.

If I were going to invest in this fund, I'd want to balance a portfolio with STW ETF for the ASX exposure and something like the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) or the VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) for global diversification.

Of course, diversification does not mean there will be any volatility or declines.

The post Is the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (STW) a good long-term buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

For some, owning a stake in the biggest names on the Australian Securities Exchange via an ETF is regarded as a pillar to achieving their financial goals. For this reason, ETFs are fast becoming a cornerstone in many Australian portfolios.

The simplicity of the investment, its diversification, and relatively low fees are all drawcards for investors. However, would-be passive investors now must choose from multiple offerings as ETF providers tap into the expanding market.

Fortunately, analysts at Morgan Stanley have already compared the most popular ASX 200 ETFs across various factors. The outcome? One Australian index-tracking fund to rule them all.

Which ASX 200 ETF takes the cake?

Three ETFs tracking the pre-eminent Australian index were evaluated by the team at Morgan Stanley:

• SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW) — the first ETF listed in Australia
• iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ), BlackRock's answer for low-cost access to the ASX 200
• BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) — the new kid on the block

To properly assess the options, Morgan Stanley divided the comparison into six areas: exposure, product structure, risk metrics, fees and liquidity, product profitability, and return performance. Finally, an overall ranking is appended to each ETF.

As shown above, the BetaShares option trails behind its more tenured opponents in only two qualities: exposure and product structure.

Regarding exposure, all three ETFs look alike, with Morgan Stanley noting their differences as "negligible". Each offering sports the same top 10 holdings, including the usual ASX 200 suspects: the big four banks, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

Based on Morgan Stanley's evaluation, the BetaShares Australia 200 ETF loses out to the iShares option on structure. The latter allows redemptions (the sale of ETF units) to be conducted without liquidating the underlying holdings for cash in the fund, mitigating capital gains tax at a fund level.

However, when it comes to fees, BetaShares is the clear winner. BlackRock's iShares and State Street's SPDR ETFs charge a 0.05% management fee, whereas BetaShares charges 0.04% — the lowest-cost Australian shares index ETF on the ASX.

Let's talk returns

Each of the ASX 200 ETFs assessed by Morgan Stanley tries to replicate the index's performance, so there shouldn't be too much variation. Nevertheless, there are differences between the three.

When the broker conducted its analysis, BetaShares touted the best performance over the past one, two, three, and five-year periods and the highest year-to-date return. Unfortunately, the BetaShares Australia 200 ETF hasn't been around long enough for a 10-year comparison.

According to its website, Morgan Stanley's top ASX 200 ETF pick has returned 7.43% per annum (after fees) for the past five years. Meanwhile, iShares' and SPDR's five-year total returns are 7.17% and 7.19% respectively.

The post Want the best ASX 200 ETF? Look no further: Morgan Stanley appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The simplest and most well-known are those that track the performance of indexes such as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) in the US.

Other ASX ETFs track certain sectors, such as the Australian Resources Sector ETF (ASX: QRE) and VanEck Australian Banks ETF (ASX: MVB).

Many ASX ETFs adopt certain strategies. For example, the top five Aussie shares ETFs for total returns in 2023 all had environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) strategies.

All of these ASX ETFs have a manager running them and their fees depend on how much work is involved.

You don't have to do much to manage an index fund, for example.

Every quarter the index is officially updated, and the ETF managers follow suit by adding or removing companies and rejigging the weightings in accordance with each company's market capitalisation.

This is all pretty simple but some ETFs charge more than others for this service.

This is why it's important to check the management expense ratio (MER) that an ETF charges before buying it.

Bear in mind that ASX ETFs with strategies will generally charge higher fees.

This is because the managers are selecting stocks on your behalf, which requires more skill and expertise.

As a general rule, the lower the management fee the better because those fees eat into your returns.

While past performance is no guarantee of future performance, it's worth looking at the history of all the ASX ETFs you're interested in and comparing the fees to determine which funds offer the best value.

We reviewed more than 300 ASX ETFs listed on CommSec to find those with the lowest MERs.

10 ASX ETFs with the lowest management fees

BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF-Currency Hedged (ASX: HETH)

The BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF-Currency Hedged invests in BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) with the currency exposure hedged back to the Australian dollar.

ETHI invests in companies deemed to be 'climate leaders'.

The HETH ETF share price is currently $14.17, up 22.37% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 41.70%.

MER: 0.03%.

BetaShares Global Quality Leaders ETF-Currency Hedged (ASX: HQLT)

The BetaShares Global Quality Leaders ETF-Currency Hedged invests in the BetaShares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) with the currency exposure hedged back to the Australian dollar.

QLTY holds 150 global companies (ex-Australia) ranked in order of a quality score. The scores are based on a combined ranking of four key factors – return on equity (ROE), debt-to-capital, cash flow generation and earnings stability.

The HQLT ETF share price is currently $29.42, up 28.58% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 49.49%.

MER: 0.03%.

VanEck MSCI International Value (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: HVLU)

The VanEck MSCI International Value (AUD Hedged) ETF holds 250 international developed-market large-caps and mid-caps with high scores as calculated by MSCI and returns hedged into Australian dollars.

The HVLU ETF share price is currently $27.42, up 14.49% since inception in November 2023.

MER: 0.03%.

VanEck MSCI International Small Companies Quality (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: QHSM)

The VanEck MSCI International Small Companies Quality (AUD Hedged) ETF invests in 150 international developed-market small-cap quality growth shares with returns hedged into Australian dollars.

The QHSM ETF share price is currently $30.08, up 26.02% since inception in November 2023.

MER: 0.03%.

Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX: VTS)

The Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF is an index-based ETF that tracks the performance of the whole United States stock market, incorporating more than 3,700 American US companies.

The VTS ETF share price is currently $389.92, up 27.68% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 87.89%.

MER: 0.03%.

BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200)

The BetaShares Australia 200 ETF is an index-based ETF that tracks the performance of the ASX 200.

The A200 ETF share price is currently $130.47, up 7.30% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 24.78%.

MER: 0.04%.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

The iShares S&P 500 ETF is an index-based ETF that tracks the performance of the 500 largest US companies comprising the S&P 500.

The IVV ETF share price is currently $52.45, up 27.71% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 92.97%.

MER: 0.04%.

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ESG (ASX: E200)

The SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ESG invests in ASX 200 shares excluding companies involved in military contracting, small arms and tobacco, oil and thermal coal above a certain threshold.

The E200 ETF share price is currently $24.82, up 4.99% over the past 12 months.

It has risen 22.33% since its inception in August 2020.

MER: 0.05%.

iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ)

The iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF tracks the performance of the ASX 200 Accumulation Index.

The IOZ ETF share price is currently $31.49, up 7.07% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 22.96%.

MER: 0.05%.

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: STW)

Launched in August 2001, the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 was Australia's first listed ETF. It tracks the performance of the ASX 200 index.

The STW ETF share price is currently $70.47, up 6.50% over the past 12 months.

Over the past five years, it has risen 21.06%.

MER: 0.05%.

The post 10 ASX ETFs with the lowest management fees and why it matters appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.