Best China ETFs (2024)

China exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a way for investors to geographically diversify their portfolios by owning stakes in a basket of companies based in the world’s second-largest economy. Despite the large number of state-owned Chinese enterprises, there are still many companies there whose shares are publicly traded, including Tencent Holdings Ltd. (700), Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd. (601318), and China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd. (600900).

Certain Chinese stocks were delisted by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after an executive order signed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2020 banned U.S. investors from investing in Chinese companies with alleged ties to the Chinese military. In May 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration was reviewing tariffs on China imposed by Trump, with the possibility of dropping them in an effort to lower consumer prices. In late August, Chinese and U.S. regulators announced an agreement to cooperate on inspecting the audit work papers of U.S.- listed Chinese companies. While Chinese companies continue to risk being delisted from U.S. exchanges, this is an important step to resolve ongoing disputes.

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.3% in 2020 as the economy began to rebound by the end of the year from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, that growth rate was the lowest in decades. China's GDP rebounded sharply in 2021, growing by 8.1% largely due to strong industrial production. But ongoing COVID-19 concerns and geopolitical issues have hampered the recovery. China's GDP grew by just 0.4% for Q2 2022, with analysts estimating 3.4% growth for the full year.

Key Takeaways

  • Chinese equities significantly underperformed the U.S. stock market over the past year.
  • The China exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with the best one-year trailing total returns are CNYA, KBA, and ASHR.
  • The top holding of each of these funds is Class A shares of Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd.

There are 17 China ETFs that trade in the United States, excluding inverse and leveraged ETFs as well as funds with less than $50 million inassets under management (AUM). Chinese equities, as measured by the MSCI China Index, have significantly underperformed the U.S. stock market over the past 12 months, posting a total return of -29.9% compared to the S&P 500’s total return of -11.0%, as of Sept. 1, 2022. The best-performing China ETF, based on performance over the past year, is the iShares MSCI China A ETF (CNYA).

We examine the three best China ETFs below. All numbers below are as of Sept. 2, 2022. In order to focus on the funds' investment strategy, the top holdings listed for each ETF exclude cash holdings and holdings purchased with securities lending proceeds except under unusual cases, such as when the cash portion is exceptionally large.

iShares MSCI China A ETF (CNYA)

  • Performance Over One-Year: -21.4%
  • Expense Ratio: 0.60%
  • Annual Dividend Yield: 0.98%
  • Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 167,363
  • Assets Under Management: $522.9 million
  • Inception Date: June 13, 2016
  • Issuer: BlackRock Financial Management

CNYA tracks the MSCI China A Inclusion Index. The fund holds hundreds of stocks with a broadly diverse basket of names. Financials, consumer staples, and industrials stocks are the top three sectors by portfolio representation, accounting for about half of invested assets. This large-cap fund follows a blended strategy, including both value and growth stocks in its holdings. The top three holdings of CNYA are Class A shares of: Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd. (600519:SHG), a partially state-owned Chinese spirits manufacturer; Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (300750:SHE), a Chinese battery maker and technology company; and China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd. (600036:SHG), a commercial bank.

KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (KBA)

  • Performance Over One-Year: -21.6%
  • Expense Ratio: 0.56%
  • Annual Dividend Yield: 0.64%
  • Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 342,989
  • Assets Under Management: $611.4 million
  • Inception Date: March 4, 2014
  • Issuer: CICC

KBA targets the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index, which is comprised of 50 large-cap stocks listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The fund includes some of China's largest, most liquid stocks that receive the most foreign interest and inflows, including those that may benefit from increased global investment in China’s onshore market over the long term. KBA focuses on a blend of value and growth stocks. The top holdings of KBA include Class A shares of Kweichow Moutai, Contemporary Amperex Technology, and LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd. (601012:SHG), a Chinese maker of photovoltaic solar modules.

Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF (ASHR)

  • Performance Over One-Year: -22.5%
  • Expense Ratio: 0.65%
  • Annual Dividend Yield: 0.84%
  • Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 6,381,852
  • Assets Under Management: $1.7 billion
  • Inception Date: Nov. 6, 2013
  • Issuer: DWS

ASHR seeks to track the CSI 300 Index, an index comprising 300 large- and mid-cap China A-Share stocks listed on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchange. ASHR is one of the oldest ETFs providing direct exposure to stocks on either of these exchanges, and the sizable trading volume and AUM reflect this. Because its focus is on the Shenzhen and Shanghai exchanges, ASHR does not include stocks listed outside mainland markets, such as companies listed in Hong Kong. Financials, industrials, and consumer staples stocks make up the largest portions of the fund's portfolio. The top holdings of ASHR include Class A shares of Kweichow Moutai, Contemporary Amperex Technology, and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (601318:SHG), a conglomerate offering insurance, banking, asset management, financial, and other services.

The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed herein are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or adopt any investment strategy. Though we believe the information provided herein is reliable, we do not warrant its accuracy or completeness. The views and strategies described in our content may not be suitable for all investors. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, all comments, opinions, and analyses contained within our content are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment, or strategy.

Best China ETFs (2024)

FAQs

Best China ETFs? ›

Tencent Holdings Ltd, China Construction Bank Corporation, Industrial and Commercial Bank and China Mobile Ltd are the top three stock holdings.

Which China ETF is the best? ›

Best-performing China ETFs
TickerName5 Year Return
KFYPKraneShares CICC China Leaders 100 Index ETF3.43%
CNYAiShares MSCI China A ETF2.97%
AFTYPacer CSOP FTSE China A50 ETF1.35%
CHIQGlobal X MSCI China Consumer Discretionary ETF1.27%
3 more rows
May 1, 2023

Who is the largest ETF provider in China? ›

Tencent Holdings Ltd, China Construction Bank Corporation, Industrial and Commercial Bank and China Mobile Ltd are the top three stock holdings.

What is the Chinese equivalent of the S&P 500? ›

Bloomberg Ticker : SPC500CP

The S&P China 500 comprises 500 of the largest, most liquid Chinese companies while approximating the sector composition of the broader Chinese equity market.

Which Chinese ETF is the biggest in asset size? ›

China Large-Cap ETF iShares (FXI)

Does Vanguard have a China fund? ›

The Fund may also invest in issuers listed in China and may invest in A-Shares, which are common stocks and other equity securities that are listed or traded on a Chinese stock exchange and which are quoted in renminbi.

What is the most successful ETF? ›

Two of the most popular ETFs include index funds based on the Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Nasdaq 100 index, which contain high-quality businesses listed on American exchanges: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), with an expense ratio of 0.03 percent. Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ), with an expense ratio of 0.20 percent.

What is the main Chinese stock index? ›

The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) Composite Index, often called the SSI Index, tracks all stocks traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

What ETF owns Alibaba? ›

There are 125 ETFs which contain ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD ORD. All of these ETFs are listed in the table below. The ETF with the largest weighting of ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD ORD is the Lyxor MSCI China ESG Leaders Extra (DR) UCITS ETF USD.

How to invest in China? ›

What are the options for investing in China?
  1. shares that are dual-listed on a US stock exchange, such as retailers Alibaba and JD.com.
  2. American Depository Receipts (ADRs), which represent a specified number of an overseas company's shares and are denominated in US dollars, rather than renminbi.
Feb 24, 2023

Why is Baba not in S&P 500? ›

Is BABA in the S&P 500 Index? No. Despite being a large and important global e-commerce company, Alibaba shares cannot be included in the S&P 500 index because the S&P only includes companies that are based in the United States.

Which Chinese ETF listed in the US market is the biggest in terms of? ›

The largest China ETF is the iShares MSCI China ETF MCHI with $8.16B in assets.

What are the biggest Chinese stock indexes? ›

Major Stock Indexes
Asia/PacificLastChg
Shanghai Composite Index3,297.3213.09
Hang Seng Index19,727.25166.68
S&P BSE Sensex Index61,431.74-128.90
NIKKEI 225 Index30,573.93480.34
3 more rows

What is the oldest ETF in China? ›

The iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF was the earliest available fund for investors to use.

Which ETF holds the most Tencent? ›

The ETF with the largest weighting of TENCENT HLDGS. LTD is the Lyxor MSCI China ESG Leaders Extra (DR) UCITS ETF - Acc.

What are the best Chinese stocks to buy? ›

Comparison Results
NamePricePrice Change
BABA Alibaba$88.76$0.42 (0.48%) Pre 1.42%
JD JD$37.92$0.25 (0.66%) Pre 3.03%
NTES NetEase$89.64$0.24 (-0.27%) Pre 2.68%
BIDU Baidu$132.68$5.07 (3.97%) Pre 4.41%
5 more rows

Does Vanguard own Evergrande? ›

BlackRock and Vanguard are among the largest shareholders in Evergrande that have posted hundreds of millions of dollars in paper losses following a more than 80% share price drop in the troubled Chinese property developer.

How much is BlackRock invested in China? ›

BlackRock, the first foreign asset manager to operate a wholly owned business in China's $3.6 trillion mutual fund industry, said its newly launched China equity fund had raised 6.68 billion yuan ($1.03bn) from more than 111,000 investors.

What is the safest ETF to buy? ›

1. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.04%) Legendary investor Warren Buffett has said that the best investment the average American can make is a low-cost S&P 500 index fund like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.

What is the fastest growing ETF? ›

Fastest Growing ETFs of 2023 (Starting AUM >$0)
TickerFundInflows (%)
QTJAInnovator Growth Accelerated Plus ETF - January540%
FSIGFirst Trust Limited Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF488%
NVDLGraniteShares 1.5x Long NVDA Daily ETF472%
COWGPacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF415%
16 more rows
Feb 28, 2023

What is the most aggressive ETF? ›

Aggressive Growth ETF List
Symbol SymbolETF Name ETF NameESG Score Global Percentile (%) ESG Score Global Percentile (%)
VUGVanguard Growth ETF61.00%
IWFiShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF67.70%
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF81.59%
XLKTechnology Select Sector SPDR Fund88.41%
4 more rows

What are 3 Chinese stocks to buy? ›

3 Chinese Stocks I'm Considering Buying Right Now
BABAAlibaba$81.53
BIDUBaidu$117.53
NIONio$7.45
May 3, 2023

Is there a Chinese S&P? ›

The S&P China 500 is diversified with both onshore and offshore listings and thus outperformed indices with higher weights in Hong Kong-listed Chinese companies.

How to buy China stock index? ›

How Can I Buy Shanghai Stock? To purchase shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, you can purchase American depository receipts (ADRs), invest in mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have exposure to the exchange, as well as invest with market makers that can access the exchange.

What is BlackRock's biggest ETF? ›

the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF IVV

Does BlackRock own Baba? ›

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE INC.
...
BlackRock Inc. ownership in BABA / Alibaba Group Holding Limited ADR.
SecurityBABA / Alibaba Group Holding Limited ADR
InstitutionBlackRock Inc.
Latest Disclosed Ownership4,167,566 shares
Latest Disclosed Value$ 333,363,000

Which ETF owns Netflix? ›

There are 245 ETFs which contain NETFLIX INC. All of these ETFs are listed in the table below. The ETF with the largest weighting of NETFLIX INC is the iShares Digital Entertainment and Education UCITS ETF USD (Acc).

Can a US citizen buy stock in China? ›

Buying stocks directly in a foreign market like India or China is possible, although it might be harder than purchasing domestic shares. Investors can purchase American Depositary Receipts on U.S. exchanges, which are certificates that represent shares in a foreign company. China A-shares are open to foreign investors.

Why is investing in China difficult? ›

Some of the risks associated with investing in China include its communist structure, regulatory differences, and insider trading. Investment opportunities in China include U.S. corporations that have a presence in the country, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Is it good to invest in China now? ›

Invest in China as consumer spending rebounds

Asset managers believe that one of the reasons to invest in China now is because the country has witnessed a steady revival in consumer spending in 2023 so far.

Is NIO a buy? ›

NIO Inc. currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.94, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by nine brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.94 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.

Is Alibaba a good investment for 2023? ›

Stock Market ETF Strategy And How To Invest

According to Zacks, Alibaba is expected to earn $7.85 a share in its current fiscal year 2023, down 5.5% compared to fiscal 2022. But growth is expected to pick up in 2024, up 4% to $8.20. Click here to the top-rated stocks in the group.

Who got kicked out of S&P 500? ›

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that S&P Global Ratings "has lost their integrity" and described environmental, social, and governance investing as a "scam." Tesla no longer qualifies for inclusion in the S&P 500 ESG Index.

Which is an actively managed Chinese ETF? ›

The JPMorgan Active China ETF (JCHI) is actively managed and can invest in a wide range of securities that are economically tied to China, according to its prospectus. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.65% and lists on the NYSE Arca.

What are the most volatile US ETFs? ›

  • The Best Volatility ETFs of May 2023.
  • Simplify Volatility Premium ETF (SVOL)
  • Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY)
  • iPath S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ)
  • iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX)
  • iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF (EFAV)
  • SPDR SSGA US Small Cap Low Volatility Index ETF (SMLV)
May 1, 2023

What is the best performing Hong Kong ETF? ›

The largest Hong Kong ETF is the iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF EWH with $775.68M in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Hong Kong ETF was FLHK at 3.24%.

What is the Chinese equivalent of the Nasdaq? ›

Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market.

Why are Chinese stocks falling? ›

Chinese stocks in the US erased all their gains for the year as the rally driven by China's fast reopening hit a wall of sluggish earnings and a lack of policy incentives, while fresh turmoil at Credit Suisse Group AG spurred a selloff in risk assets.

What is the largest money market fund in China? ›

Under regulatory pressure aimed at preventing systemic risks, Yu'e Bao — while still China's biggest money market fund with roughly 775 billion yuan in assets — now accounts for only 7.3% of the country's money market fund assets, down from more than 30% of total assets in 2014.

Is there a Yuan ETF? ›

One of the most widely traded Chinese Yuan ETFs is the WisdomTree Dreyfus Chinese Yuan Fund. The fund aims to mirror the performance of Chinese interest rates and the value of the yuan relative to the U.S. dollar.

What is the longest running ETF? ›

SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF is not only the oldest U.S. listed exchange-traded fund, but it also typically has both the largest assets under management (AUM) and highest trading volume of all ETFs.

What ETF tracks the Hang Seng index? ›

The iShares Core Hang Seng Index ETF seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Hong Kong equities.

What is the largest total world ETF? ›

1. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF is the largest major global ex-U.S. fund with $49 billion in AUM as of Q2 2022.

What is the most expensive ETF sold? ›

The Most Expensive ETFs
NameTickerExpense Ratio**
VanEck Vectors BDC Income(BIZD)10.24%
Virtus Private Credit(VPC)8.32
Saba Closed-End Funds(CEFS)4.48
Anfield Capital Diversified Alts(DALT)3.83
6 more rows
Feb 18, 2021

What is the largest actively managed ETF in the world? ›

JPMorgan offers the two largest actively managed ETFs, while Dimensional Fund Advisors has three funds in the top ranks, two of which converted from mutual fund structures. In terms of leading brands, Vanguard and State Street Global Advisors are rather glaring absences.

What are the largest Chinese REITs? ›

Top 5 REITs that Benefit from China's Reopening
  • CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust. ...
  • Sasseur REIT. ...
  • Lendlease Global Commercial REIT. ...
  • Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust. ...
  • CapitaLand Ascott Trust.
Jan 11, 2023

What is Blackrock's new investment fund in China? ›

The China Fund seeks to maximise total return. The Fund invests at least 70% of its total assets in the equity securities of companies domiciled in, or exercising the predominant part of their economic activity in, the People's Republic of China.

What is the difference between MSCI China and CSI 300? ›

Originally built for domestic Chinese investors, the CSI 300 consists of the 300 largest China A-Shares stocks ranked by market cap while the MSCI China A index currently tracks 443 securities.

What is the best China stocks to invest in? ›

Comparison Results
NamePricePrice Change
BABA Alibaba$88.76$0.42 (0.48%) Pre 1.42%
JD JD$37.92$0.25 (0.66%) Pre 3.03%
NTES NetEase$89.64$0.24 (-0.27%) Pre 2.68%
BIDU Baidu$132.68$5.07 (3.97%) Pre 4.41%
5 more rows

What is the most important Chinese stock index? ›

The Hang Seng Index (HSI) is the benchmark stock market index for the Hong Kong financial world and is widely followed as a proxy for the Asian markets in general. It is a weighted index of the largest companies that trade on the Hong Kong Exchange, covering approximately 65% of its total market capitalization.

Is MSCI China a good investment? ›

As can be seen, the MSCI China has had the poorest returns over the period. The index is still actually below its starting level and even with dividends reinvested has only returned 1.9% p.a. over 30 years.

Why is China not in MSCI World? ›

In justifying its decision, New York's Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) stated that China's capital market is still not sufficiently accessible for international investors: there remain too many restrictions, such as foreign access to A shares still being limited to narrow channels like the Qualified Foreign ...

What is the difference between MSCI China and MSCI All China? ›

The MSCI China Index and the MSCI China All Shares Index are the most common. The major difference between the two is the extent of inclusion of A-shares in the investment universe. While the MSCI China Index has a cap on A-shares inclusion, the MSCI China All Shares does not.

Is now a good time to invest in China? ›

A number of experts say they expect the year of the rabbit to be one of recovery and an accelerated activity as the zero-covid policy is rolled back - and this indeed good be an excellent time to get into China.

Is now a good time to invest in China stocks? ›

Invest in China as consumer spending rebounds

Asset managers believe that one of the reasons to invest in China now is because the country has witnessed a steady revival in consumer spending in 2023 so far.

What Chinese stock is like Amazon? ›

JD.com. JD.com is a direct-sales retailer that uses a model similar to Amazon. In contrast to Alibaba's ecommerce model, JD.com warehouses, markets, and ships merchandise directly to Chinese consumers through its national shipping network, which includes a last-mile delivery component throughout much of the nation.

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