This week's highlights
Thematic funds focused on clean energy (CLNE and ERTH), video gaming (ESPO) and technology (ASIA and ATEC) provided the bulk of the top performing ETFs last week. Indian equities (NDIA and IIND) also posted a strong week, as did global gold mining stocks (GDX and MNRS). The domestic resources sector (QRE, OZR and MVR), global energy (FUEL) and domestic yield strategies (SYI and SWTZ) were the week’s poorest performers across the equity segment.
In the commodity world, silver (ETPMAG) and gold (GOLD) both posted strong weekly returns, while platinum (ETPMPT) lagged. Oil fund OOO was the poorest performing fund for the week, dropping 2.7%.
Total reported flows into domestically domiciled ETFs were $286m, while outflows totalled $94m. Broad based equity funds A200, IOZ and IVV saw the week’s biggest inflows, followed by gold miners fund GDX. Cash fund AAA and hedge gold fund QAU saw the largest outflows for the week.
VAS was the most traded fund for the week, followed by IOZ and AAA. GOLD and GDX saw above average volumes.
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Technology has been the best performing sector for the past 10 years1. This outperformance is attributable to superior fundamentals. In the past decade, tech has had the best earnings growth and profit margins2,3. This has naturally translated into higher stock prices.
The coronavirus has been the cherry on top. Thanks to social distancing, more people are working from home, shopping online and using online entertainment. This has brought forward years of technological adoption. But which companies may stand to benefit? Below we look at some of the bright lights.
The companies listed are all found in the ETFS Morningstar Global Technology ETF (ASX Code: TECH).
Five companies fuelling the transition
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This week's highlights
Volatility crept back into global markets last week as inflation readings in the US spooked some investors and led to some sell offs.
China exposed ETFs were the best performers over the week, CNEW and CETF were both up over 3%. Goldminer ETF GDX and healthcare sector offering IXJ were also both up 2% and 1.4% respectively. The worst performers for the week were technology sector ETFs. Australian technology ETF ATEC was down 6% whilst ASIA was down 5.5%.
Net inflows for the week were A$144m which consisted of A$563m of inflows and outflows were A$419m. The biggest inflows were seen in IVV, IAF and AAA. The largest outflows were across IOZ, IHCB and IEM.
With inflation readings spiking last week some investors are turning towards a natural inflation hedge such as GOLD to counteract lower real yields. ETF Securities offers Australia’s largest fully physically backed gold ETP. GOLD offers investors a simple, cost-efficient and secure way to access gold by providing a return equivalent to the movements in the Australian dollar price of gold less a daily management fee.
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This week's highlights
Commodity related stocks outperformed last week. Gold mining funds GDX and MNRS were the week’s top performers, followed by energy (FUEL), agriculture (FOOD) and resources funds (QRE, OZR and MVR). Clean energy (CLNE and ERTH), biotech (CURE) and technology sector/thematic funds (ATEC, CLDD, FANG, ASIA and TECH) were all amongst the week’s biggest decliners.
Silver was the top performing commodity fund, with ETPMAG up 4.2%. Gold also posted a strong week, with the metal pushing above US$1,800/oz for the first time since February. Palladium was the biggest decliner, with ETPMPD dropping 5.6% for the week.
Total reported flows into domestically domiciled ETFs were $276m, while outflows totalled $145m. Emerging markets fund IEM saw the week’s biggest inflows, followed by broad equity fund A200 and sustainability fund ETHI. Australian equity funds IOZ and STW saw the largest outflows for the week.
VAS was the most traded fund for the week, followed by IOZ and AAA. GOLD and ETHI saw above average volumes.
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The Future of Technology
As we kick off 2021, there are six emerging technology trends that are set to define the next decade.
Cloud Computing
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Companies have been adopting robotics and automation into their businesses for many decades now. Robots, which are essentially programmable machines, offer businesses greater productivity. Machines, unlike humans, can work endlessly—days, nights, weekends and holidays. They are also better suited to repetitive and mundane tasks, which humans can find boring.
But robots also offer answers to demographic questions. Thanks to the global aging population, labour shortfalls are on the horizon. Countries such as Japan – where the robotics industry is among the most developed in the world – are already leaning on robotics and automation to plug the gap.
The companies listed below are all found in the ETFS ROBO Global Robotics & Automation ETF (ASX Code: ROBO).
Five companies fuelling the transition
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