5 S&P 500 ETFs for Canadians to Explore

Here are 5 S&P 500 ETFs Canadians can explore as potential portfolio additions:

1. iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF – CAD Hedged (XSP)
2. Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (VFV)
3. TD US Equity CAD Hedged Index ETF (THU)
4. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Index ETF (EQL.f)
5. BetaPro S&P 500 2x Daily Bull ETF (HSU)

 

1. iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF – CAD Hedged

Blackrock’s iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF is their flagship product providing access to the large-cap US universe at a highly reasonable 10 basis points for fees.

The iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF has more than $10.38B in net assets, thereby ensuring sufficient liquidity for investors.

The fund limits foreign exchange volatility by hedging US dollar exposure and can be traded on Canadian exchanges.

Those wanting to express a bullish CAD/USD view can opt to choose a similar but unhedged product – iShares Core S&P 500 Index (XUS) that offers to replicate the returns of the S&P 500 while not hedging the currency exposure.
 

2. Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF

Vanguard as an indexer, revolutionized the asset management industry by showing the world the benefits of passive management combined with low fees to compound investing gains.

As a result of this approach, index investing is a popular methodology amongst institutional investors and retail clients.

The Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF embodies this spirit by providing Canadians with the opportunity to buy large-cap US equities on an unhedged basis.

This fund provides an excellent alternative to the iShares product suite with identical holdings and a similar cost structure.
 

3. TD US Equity CAD Hedged Index ETF

As the name of this index ETF suggests, it does what it’s built for and provides a no-fuss index replication of the S&P 500.

TD’s index ETF has the lowest cost structure with only 7 basis points in fees, which is less than other index managers.

Having marginally lower fees, the TD US Equity Index ETF is a great investment vehicle for those who intend to invest long-term and benefit from lower fees over time.
 

4. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Index ETF

S&P 500 exchange-traded products are designed to replicate returns of the index by constructing a portfolio of the various index constituents.

However, these Index ETFs ’ popularity is owed to the convenience of gaining exposure to the whole basket of large-cap assets as well as the minimal cost expended to gain such exposure.

As a result, these index ETFs are forced to construct market price-weighted portfolios to match the movements of the S&P 500 index.

For investors cautious of concentration risks posed by such indexing methodologies and wanting to find avenues to diversify from price-weighted indexes, they can stand to benefit from allocating capital to the Invesco S&P500 Equal Weight Index ETF.

Although the fund charges a small premium compared to other passive investment funds, it might be worth paying this premium to lower your portfolio risk.

A more equal-weighted approach may be advisable since the technology stocks have grown to make up large portions of the overall market-weighted indexes.
 

5. BetaPro S&P 500 2x Daily Bull ETF

Most index ETFs are standard vanilla products that help investors allocate capital toward long-term investing objectives.

With the surge in retail participation in stocks and options trading, we have seen ETF indexers produce a broad basket of products involving leverage to produce greater volatility in returns of standard index-tracking ETFs.

Such products are intended to return a more significant percent change than the underlying index tracked using derivatives.

However, there is a bump in management fees in such levered exchange-traded products to gain this exposure.

Despite their higher fees, these products can provide additional directional exposure for investors with higher risk appetites and nimble positioning when used with discretion.

Also, a unique characteristic of levered ETFs is that they offer the ability to trade from the short side.

The BetaPro S&P 500 2x Daily Bear ETF is a good example of an exchange-traded product offered in Canada that can help investors protect their downside during risk-off moves.
 

What is an S&P 500 ETF?

The S&P 500 index represents 500 of the largest US companies.

This index is often taken as the benchmark for the performance of risk assets.

With the explosion of assets under passive management, S&P 500 index ETFs replicate the returns of large-cap US equities in the most cost-effective manner.

Investors can utilize these ETFs to seek exposure to the underlying performance of the US economy.

Asset managers like BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street offer best-in-class products with fees as little as a few basis points.

These index ETFs have become a cornerstone of long-term diversified portfolios and offer spectacular returns given the simplicity of owning these assets.

How to Invest in an S&P 500 ETF

As alluded to earlier, S&P 500 ETFs can provide diversified exposure to the long-term prospects of the US economy.

These Index ETFs trade with excellent liquidity and can be added to your portfolio just like any other stock you’d purchase or trade.

Investors can set up trading accounts with most banks, online brokerages and exchanges to buy them using limit/market orders during trading hours.

Long-term investors often systematically invest in such ETFs on a predetermined basis to avoid timing market tops and bottoms while averaging out their acquisition cost.
 

DISCLAIMER: This is not investment advice. Recommendations are for educational purposes only, presented as a path for you to further research. Please seek independent financial advice before making any financial decisions. PiggyBank is not liable for any investment decisions you make based on the information presented on this website.