Tech moves fast. Invest the Smart way.
Gain exposure to the world’s largest tech companies with the Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF.
Leading US tech companies. Easy to access. Currency hedged.
Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF (UST)
The Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF tracks the S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Information Technology Index. It offers broad-range exposure to multiple leading US tech companies, providing an opportunity to invest in the full scope of the sector's growth potential.
It includes leading US tech companies including Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Salesforce and Oracle, giving Kiwi investors easy access to these big names without needing to purchase shares directly or worrying about offshore investing. By investing in the technology sector through an ETF, investors gain exposure across a range of firms with just one purchase.
This is a fully NZD hedged fund which helps to reduce the impact of currency fluctuations, relative to the NZ dollar, on international investments.
Why US tech?
The technology sector plays a key role in driving productivity and economic growth, with innovations in AI, cloud computing, and automation shaping the future of industries worldwide.
Unlike broader market indices that include various sectors, the Smart US Tech ETF is a ‘pure play’ investment focused solely on the technology sector, offering targeted exposure to some of the world's most influential and innovative companies.
The Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF (UST) offers a straight-forward entry into investment in tech.
US tech’s role in a portfolio
Buying US tech assets in an ETF provides investors with the opportunity to own a slice of a range of leading tech companies, avoiding the need to select individual stocks.
This fund provides access to a higher growth sector. Tech stocks have historically outperformed broader markets however, they also tend to be more volatile, and past performance does not guarantee future results.
An allocation to US tech can form part of a ‘core and niche’ approach and sit alongside core holdings in a diversified portfolio.
Technology sector performance compared to the broader market
Over the past 25 years, from December 1999 to December 2024, the technology sector has outperformed the broader market. However, returns from the information technology sector have been more volatile.
A way of expressing the volatility of an investment is to use standard deviation. A higher standard deviation indicates that returns are more volatile. Based on calendar year returns from 2000 to 2024, the standard deviation of returns for the S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Information Technology Index has been 30.3% while for the S&P 500 Index the standard deviation of returns has been 18.2%. Investors should appreciate the higher level of risk involved in investing in the information technology sector.
The graph on the right shows the total performance of the tech sector and broader market over five-year increments across the 25 years from 1999 to 2024.
All figures in US dollars. Data sourced from Bloomberg. Indices used: S&P 500 Total Return Index and the S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Information Technology Total Net Return Index.
Why invest in the Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF?
Diversified exposure - Own a slice of a range of the biggest US tech firms without having to pick individual stocks.
Simplicity - One trade gives you access to leading technology companies.
Currency hedged – Mitigates the influence of foreign exchange fluctuations.
Consider the risks
US tech stocks can be volatile. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost.
For investors looking to add US tech assets to their portfolio, we recommend consulting a financial adviser to ensure it aligns with personal investment goals and risk tolerance. You should also read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to understand the risks involved.
How to invest?
You can access all our ETFs directly with Smart, from a trading platform such as Sharesies or Invest Now, or via NZX Participants such as your financial adviser or broker.
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Our new Smart Bitcoin ETF, Smart Gold ETF and Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF are built in collaboration with iShares by Blackrock.
iShares® and BlackRock® are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates (“BlackRock”) and are used under license. BlackRock makes no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in any product or the use of any service offered by Smartshares Limited.
The Product Disclosure documents for the Smart Bitcoin ETF, Smart Gold ETF and Smart US Technology (NZD Hedged) ETF are available here.