How to invest in USA using ETFs
How do I invest in American stocks?
The easiest way to invest in the whole American stock market is to invest in a broad market index. This can be done at low cost by using ETFs.
On the American stock market you'll find 4 indices which are tracked by ETFs. Besides these indices 19 alternative indices on small and mid caps as well as equity strategies can be considered. Among these strategies you find dividend focused, growth and value approaches.
Alternatively, you may consider indices on North America or the World.
Performance of American stocks (S&P 500®)
Indices in comparison
The best indices for ETFs on USA
For an investment in the American stock market, there are 4 indices available which are tracked by 45 ETFs. On the Dow Jones Industrial Average index there are 4 ETFs. On the MSCI USA index there are 16 ETFs. On the MSCI USA Large Cap index there is 1 ETF. On the S&P 500® index there are 24 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on these indices is between 0.03% p.a. and 0.51% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dow Jones Industrial Average | United States | 4 ETFs | 30 | The Dow Jones Industrial Average index tracks the 30 largest industrial companies in the US. Index factsheet |
MSCI USA | United States | 16 ETFs | 590 (29.11.24) | The MSCI USA index tracks the leading stocks on the US market. Index factsheet |
MSCI USA Large Cap | United States | 1 ETF | 260 (29.11.24) | The MSCI USA Large Cap index tracks US large cap stocks. Index factsheet |
S&P 500® | United States | 24 ETFs | 500 | The S&P 500® index tracks the 500 largest US stocks. Index factsheet |
Source: justETF.com; As of 28.02.25; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
The best USA ETFs
by 1 year return
| 1 | Amundi S&P 500 II UCITS ETF Acc | +23.89% |
| 2 | Amundi S&P 500 II UCITS ETF EUR Dist | +23.89% |
| 3 | Amundi S&P 500 UCITS ETF EUR (C) | +23.80% |
The cheapest USA ETFs
by total expense ratio (TER)
| 1 | Amundi MSCI USA UCITS ETF Acc | +0.03% p.a. |
| 2 | Amundi MSCI USA UCITS ETF Dist | +0.03% p.a. |
| 3 | SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Acc) | +0.03% p.a. |
USA indices on small and mid caps or equity strategies
Alternatively, you may consider indices on small and mid caps or equity strategies. Below, we selected 19 alternative USA indices, which are tracked by 47 ETFs as an example. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on alternative USA indices is between 0.07% p.a. and 0.43% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dow Jones US Select Dividend | United States Dividend | 1 ETF | 100 | The Dow Jones US Select Dividend index tracks the companies with the highest dividend yield in the US. Index factsheet |
| FTSE RAFI US 1000 | United States Fundamental/Quality | 1 ETF | 1,000 | The FTSE RAFI US 1000 index tracks 1000 of the largest listed U.S. companies. The FTSE RAFI Index Series selects and weights index constituents using four fundamental factors, rather than market capitalisation. The factors are dividends, cash flows, sales and book value. Index factsheet |
| Foxberry Sustainability Consensus US | United States Social/Environmental | 1 ETF | 431 (28.06.24) | The Foxberry Sustainability Consensus US index tracks stocks from the US. Securities are selected according to sustainability criteria and EU directives on climate protection. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA ESG Leaders | United States Social/Environmental | 1 ETF | 300 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA ESG Leaders index tracks large and mid cap US securities. In order to be considered for inclusion in the index, companies must demonstrate a strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, compared to their sector peers. Companies active in alcohol, gambling, weapons, tobacco and nuclear power are excluded from the index. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA ESG Screened | United States Social/Environmental | 2 ETFs | 541 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA ESG Screened index tracks US companies. The index excludes companies that are involved in businesses related to thermal coal, controversial weapons, tobacco and other controversial industries. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA Enhanced Value | United States Value | 2 ETFs | 150 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA Enhanced Value index tracks the US value stocks. These are U.S. equities which are determined as value stocks using eight historical and forward-looking fundamental data points. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA High Dividend Yield ESG Reduced Carbon Target Select | United States Dividend | 1 ETF | 93 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA High Dividend Yield ESG Reduced Carbon Target Select index tracks high dividend paying US stocks. The stocks included are filtered according to ESG criteria (environmental, social and corporate governance). The parent index is the MSCI USA index. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA Momentum | United States Momentum | 2 ETFs | 125 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA Momentum index tracks stocks with a high price momentum from the United States. The index consists of titles that have experienced price increases over the past 6 and past 12 months with the assumption that increases will continue in the future. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA SRI Select Reduced Fossil Fuels | United States Social/Environmental | 2 ETFs | 176 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA SRI Select Reduced Fossil Fuels index tracks US stocks considering only companies with very high Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings relative to their sector peers, to ensure the inclusion of the best of class companies from an ESG perspective and avoiding companies incompatible with values screen or having exposure to fossil fuels through extraction and production activities, power generation activities or reserves ownership. The weight of each company is capped to 5%. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA Small Cap ESG Enhanced Focus CTB | United States Small Cap | 1 ETF | 1,636 (28.06.24) | The MSCI USA Small Cap ESG Enhanced Focus CTB index tracks US small cap stocks. Securities are selected and weighted according to sustainability criteria and EU directives on climate protection. The parent index is the MSCI USA Small Cap. Index factsheet |
| MSCI USA Value | United States Value | 1 ETF | 463 (29.11.24) | The MSCI USA Value index tracks the US value stocks. These are U.S equities which are determined as value stocks using eight historical and forward-looking fundamental data points. Index factsheet |
| Nasdaq 100® | United States Technology | 13 ETFs | 100 | The Nasdaq 100® index tracks a selection of 100 stocks chosen from among non-financial stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Index factsheet |
| Russell 1000® Growth | United States Growth | 1 ETF | 461 (30.07.21) | The Russell 1000® Growth index tracks the large-cap growth segment of US equities. Index factsheet |
| Russell 2000® | United States Small Cap | 5 ETFs | 2,000 | The Russell 2000® index tracks 2000 companies from the US small cap stocks. Index factsheet |
| S&P 500 Minimum Volatility | United States Low Volatility/Risk Weighted | 2 ETFs | 79 (28.06.24) | The S&P 500 Minimum Volatility index tracks an optimized portfolio that includes a selection of stocks where volatility is among the lowest in the S&P 500. The S&P 500 index tracks large cap US stocks. Index factsheet |
| S&P 500® Equal Weight | United States Equal Weighted | 7 ETFs | 500 | The S&P 500® Equal Weight (EWI) index tracks large cap US stocks equally weighted with a fixed weight of 0.20%. Index factsheet |
| S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats | United States Dividend | 1 ETF | 133 (28.06.24) | The S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index tracks the stocks of the S&P Composite 1500 index that have increased dividends every year for at least 20 consecutive years. Index factsheet |
| S&P MidCap 400 | United States Mid Cap | 1 ETF | 400 | The S&P MidCap 400 index tracks 400 mid-sized US companies. Index factsheet |
| S&P SmallCap 600 | United States Small Cap | 2 ETFs | 600 | The S&P SmallCap 600 index tracks 600 small cap US stocks. Index factsheet |
Source: justETF.com; As of 28.02.25; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
North America indices with a large share of USA
Besides USA ETFs you may invest in ETFs on the North American stock market. In total, you can invest in 2 North America indices, which are tracked by 3 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on North America is between 0.10% p.a. and 0.40% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTSE North America | North America USA: 95.69% (30/11/2022) | 2 ETFs | 627 (28.06.24) | The FTSE North America index tracks stocks from the USA and Canada. Index factsheet |
| MSCI North America | North America USA: 95.21% (30/11/2022) | 1 ETF | 674 (29.11.24) | The MSCI North America index tracks stocks from developed North American countries (Canada and United States). Index factsheet |
Source: justETF.com; As of 28.02.25; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
Global indices with a large share of USA
As further alternative you may invest in global stock markets. In total, you can invest in 7 global indices, which are tracked by 35 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on global indices is between 0.00% p.a. and 0.51% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dow Jones Global Titans 50 | World USA: 82.20% (30/11/2022) | 2 ETFs | 53 (28.06.24) | The Dow Jones Global Titans 50 index tracks multinational companies traded on major exchanges worldwide. Index factsheet |
| FTSE Developed | World USA: 66.94% (30/11/2022) | 3 ETFs | 2,072 (28.06.24) | The FTSE Developed index tracks the largest stocks in developed markets across the world. Index factsheet |
| MSCI All Country World (ACWI) | World USA: 61.65% (30/11/2022) | 5 ETFs | 2,650 (29.11.24) | The MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) tracks large- and mid-cap stocks from 23 developed and 24 emerging markets worldwide. Index factsheet |
| MSCI All Country World Investable Market (ACWI IMI) | World USA: 60.72% (30/11/2022) | 2 ETFs | 8,647 (29.11.24) | The MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index (ACWI IMI) tracks stocks from 23 developed and 24 emerging markets worldwide. It covers securities across large, mid and small cap size segments. Index factsheet |
| MSCI World | World USA: 69.17% (30/11/2022) | 21 ETFs | 1,397 (29.11.24) | The MSCI World index tracks stocks from 23 developed countries worldwide. Index factsheet |
| MSCI World ex EMU | World USA: 75.84% (30/11/2022) | 1 ETF | 1,175 (29.11.24) | The MSCI World ex EMU index tracks stocks from 13 developed countries worldwide, excluding the European Monetary Union. Index factsheet |
| MSCI World ex Europe | World USA: 84.09% (30/11/2022) | 1 ETF | 982 (29.11.24) | The MSCI World ex Europe index tracks stocks from 8 developed countries worldwide, excluding Europe. Index factsheet |
Source: justETF.com; As of 28.02.25; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
