What are ETFs and how do you trade them? (2024)

FAQs

What are ETFs and how do you trade them? ›

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, is a marketable security that tracks an index, commodity, bonds, or a basket of assets like an index fund. ETFs trade like common stock on a stock exchange and experience price fluctuations throughout the day as they are bought and sold.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are SEC-registered investment companies that offer investors a way to pool their money in a fund that invests in stocks, bonds, or other assets. In return, investors receive an interest in the fund. Most ETFs are professionally managed by SEC-registered investment advisers.

In the simple terms, ETFs are funds that track indexes such as CNX Nifty or BSE Sensex, etc. When you buy shares/units of an ETF, you are buying shares/units of a portfolio that tracks the yield and return of its native index.

How do ETFs work? Exchange-traded funds work like this: The fund provider owns the underlying assets, designs a fund to track their performance and then sells shares in that fund to investors. Shareholders own a portion of an ETF, but they don't own the underlying assets in the fund.

Key Takeaways. An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a basket of securities that trades on an exchange just like a stock does. ETF share prices fluctuate all day as the ETF is bought and sold; this is different from mutual funds, which only trade once a day after the market closes.

An example of an ETF in India is Nifty BeES (Exchange Traded Fund). It tracks the Nifty 50 index, which means it holds the same 50 large Indian companies as the Nifty. By investing in Nifty BeES, you get exposure to these leading companies and the Indian stock market's performance.

Trading flexibility

ETFs are very versatile, letting you easily move money between specific asset classes, like stocks, bonds, or commodities. They trade like stocks, meaning you can trade them anytime during market hours.

Which ETF is best for beginners? ›

In order to withdraw from an exchange traded fund, you need to give your online broker or ETF platform an instruction to sell. ETFs offer guaranteed liquidity – you don't have to wait for a buyer or a seller.

Trading ETFs and stocks

There are no restrictions on how often you can buy and sell stocks, or ETFs. You can invest as little as $1 with fractional shares, there is no minimum investment and you can execute trades throughout the day, rather than waiting for the NAV to be calculated at the end of the trading day.

Traders and investors can make money from an ETF by selling it at a higher price than what they bought it for. Investors could also receive dividends if they own an ETF that tracks dividend stocks. ETF providers make money mainly from the expense ratio of the funds they manage, as well as through transaction costs.

Traders and investors can make money from an ETF by selling it at a higher price than what they bought it for. Investors could also receive dividends if they own an ETF that tracks dividend stocks. ETF providers make money mainly from the expense ratio of the funds they manage, as well as through transaction costs.

Also, beyond an ETF share price, there is no minimum amount to invest, unlike for mutual funds. Any broker can turn an investor into a new ETF holder via a straightforward brokerage account. Investors can easily access the market or submarket they want to be in.

ETFs can be a great investment for long-term investors and those with shorter-term time horizons. They can be especially valuable to beginning investors. That's because they won't require the time, effort, and experience needed to research individual stocks.