Unit Trusts vs Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) – Which is better for your portfolio?

Imagine you are dining at a nice restaurant, feeling overwhelmed by the variety of seemingly delectable dishes. However, you have a limited budget and you can only afford to order one dish.

This situation is frustratingly similar to being new to investing and overwhelmed with the variety of investment options in the market. With a limited budget, you will need to carefully weigh the pros & cons of each investment product before you make your  investment decision.

What are Unit Trusts and ETFs?

Unit trusts and ETFs are both funds. In simple terms, a fund is usually a basket of assets that offers diversification to investors.

Unit Trusts: Also known as mutual funds, Unit Trusts are a form of investment for which professional fund managers pool investors’ monies together to invest in a diversified portfolio of assets. A typical unit trust consists of bonds, stocks, and other types of securities.

Fund managers aggregate the value of all the different types of assets they invest in and generate a Net Asset Value (NAV). This NAV represents the value per unit of the fund, which is also the price at which it is traded. The performance of a unit trust generally depends on the fund manager’s ability to generate returns above a benchmark index.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are open-ended investment funds listed and traded on a stock exchange. They aim to track or replicate the performance of an underlying index or asset. ETFs provide access to a wide variety of markets and asset classes.

The price of ETFs is determined  by the value of their underlying asset and the market demand and supply of the ETF, while their performance depends on the respective index that the ETF tracks.

What are the differences between Unit Trusts and ETFs?

  • Passive vs. Active Management

Passive Management refers to an investment style whereby the objective is to track or “mirror” an established index like the Singapore Straits Times Index (STI) or the US S&P 500 Index. This is the opposite of Active Management, which involves active screening and selection of stocks, bonds, or other securities to meet an investment objective or outperform a benchmark.

Unit trusts are typically managed by experienced fund managers who use their expertise to make discretionary investment decisions, aiming to outperform the market or a specific benchmark. In contrast, ETFs are more commonly associated with a passive management style, primarily focusing on tracking indexes.

Whether you should adopt a more active or passive approach depends on what you’re investing in and your knowledge about the markets. For example, given their smoother flow of capital, developed markets might be well-served by passively managed options. On the other hand, active management could give your portfolio an edge in emerging markets where efficiently picking stocks may have a more significant impact.

  • Exchange vs. Non-exchange Trading

Unit trusts are not traded on an exchange and are “forward priced.” Forward pricing is used to determine the price of a fund’s “units” based on the end of day net asset value (NAV) of the fund. Transactions typically use a single daily “dealing price”; and the transacted price or NAV is known about two business days after the purchase is made.

As the name suggests, ETFs are traded on a stock exchange which allows for real-time price dissemination and transactions. The price of an ETF is influenced by a combination of market demand and the performance of the underlying index that the ETF is tracking.

  • Upfront Costs

These costs can add up, especially with smaller investment amounts. Since ETFs typically require the purchase of whole shares, frequent commission fees can chip away at your returns. In contrast, Unit trusts allow you to invest any amount, thereby minimising the impact of these fees.

  • Tax Considerations

Conclusion

If you’re a new investor in Singapore with a smaller budget, unit trust funds might be your perfect gateway to the world of investments. Their flexibility in terms of investment amount, potentially simpler tax structure, and the option for active management in specific markets make them a compelling choice. Are you ready to explore the delicious world of unit trust funds and start building your financial future?

Winshern Ho

Wealth Manager

Phillip Securities Pte Ltd (A member of PhillipCapital)

https://bit.ly/TTPWinshernHo

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This material is provided by Phillip Capital Management (S) Ltd (“PCM”) for general information only and does not constitute a recommendation, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to invest in any of the exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) or the unit trust (“Products”) mentioned herein. It does not have any regard to your specific investment objectives, financial situation and any of your particular needs. You should read the Prospectus and the accompanying Product Highlights Sheet (“PHS”) for key features, key risks and other important information of the Products and obtain advice from a financial adviser (“FA“) pursuant to a separate engagement before making a commitment to invest in the Products. In the event that you choose not to obtain advice from a FA, you should assess whether the Products are suitable for you before proceeding to invest. A copy of the Prospectus and PHS are available from PCM, any of its Participating Dealers (“PDs“) for the ETF, or any of its authorised distributors for the unit trust managed by PCM.  

An ETF is not like a typical unit trust as the units of the ETF (the “Units“) are to be listed and traded like any share on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST”). Listing on the SGX-ST does not guarantee a liquid market for the Units which may be traded at prices above or below its NAV or may be suspended or delisted. Investors may buy or sell the Units on SGX-ST when it is listed. Investors cannot create or redeem Units directly with PCM and have no rights to request PCM to redeem or purchase their Units. Creation and redemption of Units are through PDs if investors are clients of the PDs, who have no obligation to agree to create or redeem Units on behalf of any investor and may impose terms and conditions in connection with such creation or redemption orders. Please refer to the Prospectus of the ETF for more details.  

Investments are subject to investment risks including the possible loss of the principal amount invested. The purchase of a unit in a fund is not the same as placing your money on deposit with a bank or deposit-taking company. There is no guarantee as to the amount of capital invested or return received. The value of the units and the income accruing to the units may fall or rise. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of the future or likely performance of the Products. There can be no assurance that investment objectives will be achieved.  

Where applicable, fund(s) may invest in financial derivatives and/or participate in securities lending and repurchase transactions for the purpose of hedging and/or efficient portfolio management, subject to the relevant regulatory requirements. PCM reserves the discretion to determine if currency exposure should be hedged actively, passively or not at all, in the best interest of the Products.  

The regular dividend distributions, out of either income and/or capital, are not guaranteed and subject to PCM’s discretion. Past payout yields and payments do not represent future payout yields and payments. Such dividend distributions will reduce the available capital for reinvestment and may result in an immediate decrease in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Products. Please refer to <www.phillipfunds.com> for more information in relation to the dividend distributions.  

The information provided herein may be obtained or compiled from public and/or third party sources that PCM has no reason to believe are unreliable. Any opinion or view herein is an expression of belief of the individual author or the indicated source (as applicable) only. PCM makes no representation or warranty that such information is accurate, complete, verified or should be relied upon as such. The information does not constitute, and should not be used as a substitute for tax, legal or investment advice.  

The information herein are not for any person in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or availability for use would contravene any applicable law or regulation or would subject PCM to any registration or licensing requirement in such jurisdiction or country. The Products is not offered to U.S. Persons. PhillipCapital Group of Companies, including PCM, their affiliates and/or their officers, directors and/or employees may own or have positions in the Products. Any member of the PhillipCapital Group of Companies may have acted upon or used the information, analyses and opinions herein before they have been published. 

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Phillip Capital Management (S) Ltd (Co. Reg. No. 199905233W)  
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