Pros and Cons of BRICS ETFs

What Are BRICS ETFs?

BRICS exchange-traded funds (ETFs) invest in the emerging markets of China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE. BRICS ETFs offer exposure to important emerging markets in a single fund, providing convenient access to stocks and bonds from these countries. As emerging markets, BRICS countries are expected to experience higher economic growth than developed markets—as well as heightened volatility and uncertainty. This has led to increased interest in BRICS ETFs as an investment.

The BRIC acronym was coined in 2001, after which the countries allied their fast-growing developing economies. In 2010, BRIC added South Africa, becoming BRICS. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many BRICS indexes dropped Russia from their portfolios, and Russia-specific ETFs were delisted from American exchanges. In 2024, five more countries joined the alliance: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The expansion marks a push by some BRICS members to balance out a U.S.-dominated world economy.

Pros and Cons of Investing in BRICS ETFs

Pros of Investing in BRICS ETFs

Potential for higher returns

The higher projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of BRICS economies compared with developed markets suggests a strong return potential for BRICS ETFs. As they expand, investing early in these emerging markets could supply higher long-term returns.

BRICS growth projections are driven by increased industrialization, urbanization, and consumer demand within these economies. The 2024 additions to BRICS mean it covers about 3.5 billion people and many consumers, but also about 42% of global crude oil output.

As these countries develop, companies within these markets could see significant gains in revenues and profits, translating into higher stock prices and greater returns for investors in BRICS ETFs.

BRICS countries also tend to have younger populations and a growing middle class. These demographic shifts could lead to increased domestic consumption and a growing demand for various products and services from both domestic and foreign producers.

Diversification

BRICS ETFs offer diversification through exposure to different emerging markets in a single fund. This can help balance an investment portfolio heavily weighted in U.S. and European stocks and bonds. Indeed, most of the BRICS are significant actors on different continents, providing geographical diversification and broader emerging market exposure. They also have major oil reserves and other significant raw materials exports important for the world economy.

While not directly contributing to higher returns, the diversification of BRICS ETFs can help achieve a more balanced portfolio. Diversification can enhance returns while mitigating risks compared with investing only in developed markets. For example, emerging economies may grow when developed markets like the U.S. or Western Europe stagnate.

Convenience

BRICS ETFs offer a straightforward way to invest in a diverse range of companies across its member countries. Investing in individual stocks in these countries would require a deep understanding of each market, including local economic conditions, regulations, and market dynamics. BRICS ETFs streamline this process by providing a single investment vehicle encompassing stocks across each country. By buying shares in a BRICS ETF, investors thus gain exposure to a basket of stocks spread across different sectors and regions in a single transaction.

Direct investment in international markets (such as opening a foreign brokerage account) also often involves higher transaction costs and minimum investment thresholds, which can be prohibitive for individual investors. BRICS ETFs typically have lower transaction costs than direct international investments, allowing investors to gain exposure to these markets with relatively small investment amounts.

Because they trade like shares, ETFs are liquid securities that can be bought and sold throughout the trading day, with many brokerages today offering commission-free trading in most ETFs.

Cons of Investing in BRICS ETFs

Higher volatility

Emerging markets tend to experience larger price swings. Therefore, a primary concern with BRICS ETFs is their potential for higher volatility than developed market investments.

The stock markets in BRICS countries can experience sudden fluctuations because of various factors, including economic uncertainty, political instability, trade disruptions, and global market dynamics. This could lead to significant short-term swings in the value of BRICS ETFs, which could be unsettling for risk-averse investors.

For example, some BRICS economies, like Brazil, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, heavily rely on commodity prices. This means that the performance of ETFs invested in these countries can be disproportionately affected by global commodity market fluctuations and geopolitical events, adding other layers of risk.

Political, regulatory, and economic instability

The political and economic environments in the BRICS countries can be less stable than in more developed economies. Changes in government policies, regulations, and political unrest can significantly impact these markets.

For instance, armed conflict or sanctions have affected Russia, while regulatory changes can significantly impact China. Such instabilities can directly affect the performance of companies within BRICS ETFs.

The regulatory environments in BRICS countries can also be less robust than in developed markets, leading to concerns about corporate governance and transparency. This can make it more difficult for investors to accurately assess the risks and prospects of the companies within the ETF.

Currency risk

When investing in BRICS ETFs, investors are also exposed to currency risk. Fluctuations in the value of these countries’ individual currencies against the investor’s home currency can affect returns from these ETFs. When those currencies weaken vs. the U.S. dollar, it negatively affects the relative performance of those holdings. The fact that BRICS countries have experienced periods of high inflation in the past has also dampened currency values.

Currency risk adds an extra layer of complexity and can either enhance or erode investment returns, depending on currency movements.

Factors to Consider When Investing in BRICs ETFs

When researching BRICS ETFs, review their holdings, expense ratios, liquidity, assets under management, and historical returns and compare them with each other and benchmarks. Higher expense ratios, for example, can erode net returns, all else being equal.

Comparing several BRICs ETFs can help identify a suitable fund for your portfolio and risk tolerance.

It’s also important to diversify your exposure or pair BRICS ETFs with other emerging market ETFs rather than concentrate your exposure in the BRICS countries. Broader emerging market ETFs could provide more balanced exposure.

Other Emerging Market ETFs

In addition to ETFs that track stocks in the BRICS countries, there are other emerging markets funds to consider. The Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO), iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM), and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) all have broad-based emerging markets exposure, with BRICS among those from several other countries.

Individual country ETFs, like those for Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, among others, also have emerging market exposure.

Top BRICS ETFs