Is ETHI a good ETF?
ETHI is the BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF from BetaShares. It tracks the Nasdaq Future Global Sustainability Leaders Index. We classify it under Intl and ESG. With about $3.78 billion in assets it is a large, highly liquid fund. Listed on the ASX since 2017-01-05 (over 9 years ago).
On a total-return basis, ETHI has delivered 9.34% a year over 5 years (ranked 64th of 188 ETFs we track), 12.77% a year over 3 years (ranked 88th of 226 ETFs we track), and 7.91% a year over 1 year (ranked 147th of 308 ETFs we track).
The management fee of 0.59% is on the higher side. For comparison, similar ETFs average around 0.51%. If cost is your priority, IESG (0.09%), IWLD (0.15%), and VGS (0.18%) cover similar ground for less. It pays a moderate 1.8% yield.
Over the past 5 years its volatility has been moderate (annualised standard deviation around 13.1%), meaning the kind of swings you'd expect from a diversified equity fund. Its 5-year Sharpe ratio of 0.51 is reasonable — that's the return it has earned per unit of risk taken (higher is better).
Portfolio turnover is very low at about 5% a year — the portfolio barely changes from year to year, much like a classic buy-and-hold index fund. Very little of its return is lost to trading or to capital gains being realised early, making it highly tax-efficient.
Things to watch
- Pricier than similar ETFs, which average around 0.51%.
- Cheaper alternatives exist: IESG, IWLD, and VGS.
What ETHI's categories mean for you
How each category this ETF belongs to tends to behave across market cycles.
Global and international shares from outside Australia — broadening you into thousands of companies and the sectors (tech, healthcare) the local market lacks.
- Market regime
- Essential diversification away from the bank-and-resources-heavy ASX. Unhedged versions carry currency risk; hedged versions remove it at a small cost.
- In a portfolio
- A core holding for almost every long-term Australian portfolio.
Screens out, or tilts away from, companies on environmental, social and governance criteria — letting you align your money with your values.
- Market regime
- Performance broadly tracks the wider market, but can drift when excluded sectors (e.g. energy, mining, weapons, tobacco) have a strong or weak run. Fees are usually a touch higher.
- In a portfolio
- Suitable as a core or near-core holding for values-driven investors; just understand which sectors are excluded and why returns may diverge from the broad index.
General information only, generated from the fund's published data — not personal financial advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Consider your own circumstances or seek licensed advice before investing.