Is QGFH a good ETF?
QGFH is the Quay Global Real Estate Fund (AUD Hedged) Active ETF. We classify it under Intl, Thematic, and Active. With about $1.19 billion in assets it is a large, highly liquid fund.
On a total-return basis, QGFH has delivered 14.67% a year over 10 years (ranked 10th of 108 ETFs we track), -1.63% a year over 5 years (ranked 179th of 188 ETFs we track), 1.76% a year over 3 years (ranked 218th of 226 ETFs we track), and 1.61% a year over 1 year (ranked 230th of 308 ETFs we track). Its strongest showing is over 10 years, where it sits in the top 9% of all ETFs we track.
The management fee of 0.91% is high, which is common for active, geared or thematic strategies and only worth paying if the approach justifies it. For comparison, similar ETFs average around 0.51%. If cost is your priority, GLPR (0.15%), DJRE (0.2%), and REIT (0.2%) cover similar ground for less. It pays a healthy 4.03% yield, attractive if you want regular income. Bear in mind distributions are taxed each year at your marginal rate, so a high yield is less tax-efficient for higher earners and during the accumulation phase.
Over the past 5 years its volatility has been moderate (annualised standard deviation around 12.94%), meaning the kind of swings you'd expect from a diversified equity fund. Its 10-year Sharpe ratio of 0.34 is weak — that's the return it has earned per unit of risk taken (higher is better).
Strengths
- Top-9% returns over 10 years (10th of 108 ETFs we track).
- Pays a useful 4.03% income yield.
Things to watch
- Has lagged most peers over 3 years (218th of 226).
- A 0.91% management fee is high and compounds against you over time.
- Pricier than similar ETFs, which average around 0.51%.
- Cheaper alternatives exist: GLPR, DJRE, and REIT.
- Weak risk-adjusted returns (10-year Sharpe ratio 0.34).
- Highly concentrated single-theme bet — keep the position size small.
What QGFH'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.
A concentrated bet on a single trend — AI, battery tech, cybersecurity, robotics and the like. High conviction, high concentration, and often high fees.
- Market regime
- Frequently launched after a theme is already hot, which has historically been a poor entry point. Expect very large swings in both directions.
- In a portfolio
- A small satellite position at most. Treat it as a speculative tilt, never as a core holding.
Actively managed: a portfolio manager hand-picks holdings trying to beat the index, rather than simply tracking it. You pay more in fees for the chance of outperformance.
- Market regime
- Can add value in volatile, falling or inefficient markets where stock-picking and downside protection matter. In long, broad bull markets most active funds struggle to keep up with the cheap index after fees.
- In a portfolio
- Only worth holding if you have genuine conviction in the strategy — decades of evidence show the majority of active funds underperform their benchmark over 10+ years once fees are counted.
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.