ETF Education notebook

WHAT IS AN ETF?

  • iShares ETFs/BlackRock Funds cover a broad range of asset classes, risk profiles and investment outcomes. To understand the appropriateness of these Funds for your investment objective, please visit our product webpage

    iShares ETFs/BlackRock Funds cover a broad range of asset classes, risk profiles and investment outcomes. To understand the appropriateness of these Funds for your investment objective, please visit our product webpage

    Find out more about iShares ETFs/BlackRock products:

    https://www.blackrock.com/au/individual/products/investment-funds

     

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is a diversified collection of assets (like a managed fund) that trades on an exchange (like a share). It blends the benefits of both managed funds and shares and offers investors a simple and cost-effective way to help achieve diversification in their investment portfolios.

  • Since the launch of the first ETF back in 1990, the industry has grown rapidly. Product innovation has continued to drive investor interest, with major breakthroughs in 2000 and 2004 when the first fixed income ETF and the first commodities ETF were launched, giving investors the ability to access bonds and physical commodities such as gold.

    Trading shares is second nature for most investors. You can trade shares yourself or find a broker to help. Trading ETFs is no different from trading shares, and a little research goes a long way to helping you choose the right ETF.

COMPARING ETFS TO OTHER INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

To see how ETFs compare to other products in the market, refer to the chart below:

  ETF BONDS SHARE TRADITIONAL MANAGED FUND
Diversification of investment within the asset class Basket of securities (generally high) Individual securities (generally low) Individual securities (generally low) Depends on different funds - Basket of securities
Pricing Continuous on exchange intra-day pricing No centralised exchange or trade history Continuous on exchange intra-day pricing Daily quote after market close
Liquidity Comparatively Higher Varies Varies Varies between daily, monthly and quarterly
Transparency Fund holdings disclosed as often as daily N/A N/A Varies
Transaction costs Varies, according to brokerage Varies but can have high buy/sell spreads Varies, according to brokerage Varies, according to brokerage and fund manager
Management Fees Typically less than traditional managed funds N/A N/A Active funds generally incur higher management costs
Accessibility High Low for many bonds High Varies depending on fund
Limit order Yes No Yes No