Top ETFs by Assets Under Management

Exploring the Largest ETFs Across Different Categories

Determining the Largest ETFs

To identify the largest ETFs, the key metric used is assets under management (AUM), which represents the total value of investments in all share classes of the fund. Higher AUM often corresponds to higher trading volumes, potentially making larger ETFs more attractive to investors due to tighter spreads.

Largest ETFs Overall

As of April 1, 2020, the largest ETFs by AUM include the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, with $210 billion, the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, with $120 billion, and the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, with $73 billion. The majority of the top ten largest ETFs are equity ETFs tracking major indices.

Largest Currency ETFs

Currency ETFs offer exposure to foreign exchange markets, with the largest ones including the Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund, the Invesco CurrencyShares Euro Currency Trust, and the Invesco CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust.

Largest Bond ETFs

Bond ETFs provide exposure to fixed income securities like US Treasuries or German Bunds, with the largest ones being the iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF, the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF, and the Vanguard Total International Bond ETF.

Largest Commodity ETFs

Commodity ETFs offer exposure to physical commodities such as natural resources and precious metals, with the largest ones including the Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF, the Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund, and the iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust.

Largest Inverse ETFs

Inverse ETFs aim to produce returns opposite to a given benchmark, with the largest ones being the ProShares Short S&P 500, the ProShares Ultrashort S&P 500, and the ProShares UltraPro Short S&P 500.

Largest Industry ETFs

Industry or sector ETFs provide exposure to specific sectors like technology or real estate, with the largest ones including the Invesco QQQ, the Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund, and the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund.

FAQs on ETFs

ETFs have gained significant popularity, surpassing hedge funds in the past decade in terms of AUM, although still trailing behind mutual funds and pension funds. The ETF market currently exceeds $5 trillion in assets, with predictions suggesting it could reach $50 trillion by 2030.

The oldest ETF, established in 1993, is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, known by its ticker symbol ‘SPY.’ ETFs can pay dividends, similar to shares, with the option to either distribute them to investors or reinvest them back into the fund.

Exploring Equities Further

For more information on equities, explore our beginner’s guide to trading stocks and learn about the relationship between the stock market and the economy.