How to invest in Canada using ETFs
How do I invest in Canadian stocks?
The easiest way to invest in the whole Canadian stock market is to invest in a broad market index. This can be done at low cost by using ETFs.
On the Canadian stock market you'll find 1 index which is tracked by ETFs.
Besides ETFs on Canada, there are no regional ETFs available with significant weight of Canadian stocks. Even North America indices hold less than 10% in Canada.
Performance of Canadian stocks (MSCI Canada)
1 month: 3.41%
1 year: 23.28%
3 years: 22.09%
5 years: 61.59%
Indices in comparison
The best indices for ETFs on Canada
For an investment in the Canadian stock market, there is 1 index available which is tracked by 3 ETFs. On the MSCI Canada index there are 3 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on these indices is between 0.33% p.a. and 0.48% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Canada | Canada | 3 ETFs | 85 (30/09/2024) | The MSCI Canada index tracks the largest and most liquid Canadian stocks. Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN | Fund size in m GBP | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares MSCI Canada UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B52SF786 | 860 | 0.48% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Canada UCITS ETF (CAD) A-disLU0446734872 | 710 | 0.33% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| HSBC MSCI Canada UCITS ETF USDIE00B51B7Z02 | 25 | 0.35% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Canada | 0.71% | 2.92% | 6.78% | 22.35% | 17.16% |
| Index | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | 2021 in % | 2020 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Canada | 8.64% | 8.85% | -2.67% | 27.29% | 1.61% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31/10/2024; Calculations in GBP based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
The best Canada ETFs
by 1 year return
| 1 | UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Canada UCITS ETF (CAD) A-dis | 22.58% |
| 2 | HSBC MSCI Canada UCITS ETF USD | 22.47% |
| 3 | iShares MSCI Canada UCITS ETF (Acc) | 22.35% |
The cheapest Canada ETFs
by total expense ratio (TER)
| 1 | UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Canada UCITS ETF (CAD) A-dis | 0.33% p.a. |
| 2 | HSBC MSCI Canada UCITS ETF USD | 0.35% p.a. |
| 3 | iShares MSCI Canada UCITS ETF (Acc) | 0.48% p.a. |