ETFs, in plain English
A growing shelf of Australian ETFs, each explained the same calm way: what it actually holds, what it costs in dollars, and what to keep in mind. Browse by kind, narrow to an issuer, or search for one you have in mind.
Australian shares
- VASAustralian shares
Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF
The roughly 300 largest companies listed on the Australian share market, held in one parcel.
0.07% a year · about $7 per $10,000
- VETHAustralian shares
Vanguard Ethically Conscious Australian Shares ETF
Australian companies from the top 300 on the market (the FTSE Australia 300 Choice index), after screening out those that don't meet the fund's ethical criteria.
0.16% a year · about $16 per $10,000
- VHYAustralian shares
Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF
Around 70 Australian companies chosen because they pay higher-than-average dividends, held together in one parcel.
0.25% a year · about $25 per $10,000
- VLCAustralian shares
Vanguard MSCI Australian Large Companies Index ETF
Only the largest companies on the Australian share market — a concentrated slice of the biggest ASX names (the MSCI Australian Large Cap index).
0.2% a year · about $20 per $10,000
- VSOAustralian shares
Vanguard MSCI Australian Small Companies Index ETF
Around 190 smaller Australian companies — the ones that sit below the big household names on the market.
0.3% a year · about $30 per $10,000
Global shares
- VAEGlobal shares
Vanguard FTSE Asia Ex-Japan Shares Index ETF
Large and medium companies from across developing and developed Asia, excluding Japan (and Australia and New Zealand) — the FTSE Asia Pacific ex Japan, Australia and New Zealand index.
0.4% a year · about $40 per $10,000
- VBLDGlobal shares
Vanguard Global Infrastructure Index ETF
Companies around the developed world that own and operate infrastructure — things like toll roads, airports, utilities and pipelines (the FTSE Developed Core Infrastructure index).
0.47% a year · about $47 per $10,000
- VEQGlobal shares
Vanguard FTSE Europe Shares ETF
Large, medium and small companies from across developed Europe — the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap index.
0.35% a year · about $35 per $10,000
- VESGGlobal shares
Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares Index ETF
Around 1,400 large and medium-sized companies from developed countries outside Australia, after screening out industries the fund excludes on ethical grounds.
0.18% a year · about $18 per $10,000
- VGADGlobal shares
Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares (Hedged) ETF
The same basket as Vanguard's international shares fund — around 1,250 large and medium-sized developed-market companies outside Australia — but with the foreign-currency exposure hedged back to Australian dollars.
0.21% a year · about $21 per $10,000
- VGEGlobal shares
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Shares ETF
A very broad basket of thousands of companies from developing economies — places like China, Taiwan, India and Brazil — held together in one parcel.
0.48% a year · about $48 per $10,000
- VGSGlobal shares
Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF
Around 1,250 large and medium-sized companies from developed countries around the world — everywhere except Australia — held together in one parcel.
0.18% a year · about $18 per $10,000
- VIHYGlobal shares
Vanguard International Shares High Yield ETF
Companies from around the world (outside Australia) chosen because they pay higher-than-average dividends — the FTSE All-World ex Australia High Dividend Yield index.
0.3% a year · about $30 per $10,000
- VISMGlobal shares
Vanguard MSCI International Small Companies Index ETF
Thousands of smaller companies from developed countries around the world, excluding Australia — the MSCI World ex-Australia Small Cap index.
0.32% a year · about $32 per $10,000
- VMINGlobal shares
Vanguard Global Minimum Volatility Active ETF
Around 190 global shares (including some Australian ones), actively chosen and combined to aim for smaller ups and downs than the broad global market.
0.28% a year · about $28 per $10,000
- VTEKGlobal shares
Vanguard Global Technology Index ETF
Around 300 of the world's largest technology and tech-related companies — the FTSE All-World Technology 300 Capped index.
0.23% a year · about $23 per $10,000
- VTKHGlobal shares
Vanguard Global Technology Index (Hedged) ETF
The same basket of around 300 global technology companies as the unhedged version, but with the foreign-currency exposure hedged to Australian dollars (the FTSE All-World Technology 300 Capped, hedged index).
0.26% a year · about $26 per $10,000
- VVLUGlobal shares
Vanguard Global Value Equity Active ETF
Around 930 shares from developed markets worldwide, actively chosen by Vanguard for 'value' characteristics — companies that look inexpensive relative to their fundamentals.
0.28% a year · about $28 per $10,000
US shares
- V500US shares
Vanguard S&P 500 US Shares Index ETF
The 500 biggest companies listed in the United States — the same S&P 500 index that headlines the US market.
0.07% a year · about $7 per $10,000
- V5AHUS shares
Vanguard S&P 500 US Shares Index (Hedged) ETF
The same 500 biggest US companies as the S&P 500, but with the US-dollar exposure hedged back to Australian dollars.
0.09% a year · about $9 per $10,000
Diversified (multi-asset)
- VDALDiversified (multi-asset)
Vanguard Diversified All Growth Index ETF
A complete, all-shares portfolio in one trade — Australian and global shares (developed and emerging) — built from a handful of underlying Vanguard index funds.
0.27% a year · about $27 per $10,000
- VDBADiversified (multi-asset)
Vanguard Diversified Balanced Index ETF
A complete, ready-made portfolio: a roughly even blend of shares (Australian and global) and bonds, built from a handful of underlying Vanguard index funds.
0.27% a year · about $27 per $10,000
- VDCODiversified (multi-asset)
Vanguard Diversified Conservative Index ETF
A complete, ready-made portfolio weighted toward stability: mostly bonds with a smaller slice of shares (Australian and global), built from underlying Vanguard index funds.
0.27% a year · about $27 per $10,000
- VDGRDiversified (multi-asset)
Vanguard Diversified Growth Index ETF
A complete, ready-made portfolio in one trade: a blend of Australian and global shares with a meaningful slice of bonds, built from a handful of underlying Vanguard index funds.
0.27% a year · about $27 per $10,000
- VDHGDiversified (multi-asset)
Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF
A complete, ready-made portfolio in one trade: thousands of Australian and global shares with a small slice of bonds, built from a handful of underlying Vanguard index funds.
0.27% a year · about $27 per $10,000
- VDIFDiversified (multi-asset)
Vanguard Diversified Income ETF
A ready-made, income-focused portfolio across several asset classes — a blend of higher-yielding shares and investment-grade bonds, held via a handful of underlying Vanguard funds.
0.32% a year · about $32 per $10,000
Fixed income
- VACFFixed income
Vanguard Australian Corporate Fixed Interest Index ETF
Australian corporate bonds — debt issued by companies rather than governments (the Bloomberg AusBond Credit index) — rather than shares.
0.2% a year · about $20 per $10,000
- VAFFixed income
Vanguard Australian Fixed Interest Index ETF
A broad mix of Australian bonds — mostly government and semi-government debt, plus some corporate bonds (the Bloomberg AusBond Composite index) — rather than shares.
0.1% a year · about $10 per $10,000
- VBNDFixed income
Vanguard Global Aggregate Bond Index (Hedged) ETF
A very broad mix of bonds from around the world — government and corporate (the Bloomberg Global Aggregate index) — with the foreign-currency exposure hedged to Australian dollars.
0.2% a year · about $20 per $10,000
- VCFFixed income
Vanguard International Credit Securities Index (Hedged) ETF
International corporate (credit) bonds — debt issued by companies around the world — with the foreign-currency exposure hedged to Australian dollars.
0.3% a year · about $30 per $10,000
- VEFIFixed income
Vanguard Ethically Conscious Global Aggregate Bond Index (Hedged) ETF
A broad mix of global government and corporate bonds that pass an ethical screen (the Bloomberg MSCI Global Aggregate SRI Exclusions index), hedged to Australian dollars.
0.26% a year · about $26 per $10,000
- VGBFixed income
Vanguard Australian Government Bond Index ETF
Australian government bonds — debt issued by the federal and state governments (the Bloomberg AusBond Government index) — rather than shares.
0.16% a year · about $16 per $10,000
- VIFFixed income
Vanguard International Fixed Interest Index (Hedged) ETF
A broad mix of international government and high-quality bonds (from outside Australia), with the foreign-currency exposure hedged to Australian dollars.
0.2% a year · about $20 per $10,000