5 Things You Need To Know About The Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF Before Investing In It

On 10 December 2021, the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF (Stock Code: HST/HSS) was on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). As its name suggests, the ETF tracks the idea Seng TECH Index's performance, which comprises the 30 largest technology-related companies on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

As an early indication of precisely how popular this ETF might be, the Initial Offering Period (IOP) for that Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF from 23 November 2021 to 7 December 2021 saw investors in Singapore registering to a total of 47.6 million units worth S$63.5 million being subscribed to.

For investors who did not subscribe to the IOP, you can still invest in the ETF since it's now listed on the SGX. However, before you decide to invest in the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF, here are 5 things you need to know first.

#1 The constituents Forming The Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF

The Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF is an index-based ETF. This means it seeks to replicate the performance of the index it's tracking as closely as possible, which is the Hang Seng TECH Index.

As an investor, we should know the underlying firms that form the Hang Seng TECH Index. Ultimately, when we invest in an index-based ETF, we're investing in the underlying companies. For the Hang Seng TECH Index, it's tech-related the likes of Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi and JD.com that we will be investing into.

The Hang Seng TECH Index represents the 30 largest technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business contact with technology themes and pass the index's screening criteria. Many of them are Information Technology companies however, many of them are also enterprises from sectors such as Industrial and Healthcare that utilises technology to drive their business.

To ensure the ETF is not overly exposed to any particular company, the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF includes a mandate that ensures no particular company has a weightage of more than 8% within the ETF. This really is rebalanced on a quarterly basis.

#2 Historical Performance From the Hang Seng Tech Index

While the Hang Seng TECH Index may have only been launched on 27 July 2021, the companies that form the index have been around for a longer period. This makes it possible for us to trace what the index's historical returns might have been.

For example, had the index been launched at the start of the year, the year-to-date (YTD) return for it would have been 68.7% as of 4 December 2021, up from 4714.81 (31 December 2021) to 7,952.80 (4 December 2021). This will come as no surprise since many global technology companies have done well in 2021 despite the COVID-19 global pandemic.

While we need to be mindful that past performance shouldn't be taken as an indicator for future performance, it tells us just how well the companies forming the idea Seng TECH Index have performed in 2021.

#3 First Technology-Based ETF Established Around the SGX

Most of us will be glad to understand that we now (finally) possess a tech-focused ETF that we can invest in on the SGX. This is great because most investors would know by now that over the past decade, most of the fastest-growing companies around the world have been technology companies.

In addition, the good thing about the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF is that it allows us exposure to large technology companies without needing to open a local or overseas custodian account. What this means is we can hold the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF directly in our CDP account.

#4 Not The Only ETF That Tracks The Hang Seng TECH Index

Since the Hang Seng TECH Index's launch in July 2021, there has been a few ETFs that have been launched to trace the index.

Based on our knowledge, there are four other ETFs (excluding the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF) that tracks this index. These ETFs are all listed in Hong Kong. This means that as Singapore-based investors, we might incur additional custodian fees in holding these overseas investments and Customer Account Review (CAR) reviews may be required. The Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF on the other hand is an Excluded Investment Product (EIP) and does not require any specific trading certifications from investors.

While the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF tracks an overseas index, it's a local ETF. Besides being able to invest and hold the ETF units in our CDP account, the other advantage is that we can invest in the ETF in Singapore Dollar (SGD). Which means that we don't need to face unnecessary foreign exchange rate costs for our investments. However, we should note that the underlying investments are in a foreign currency and the businesses also sell many in foreign currency – hence you will see an inherent foreign currency risk.

For people who prefer to invest via US Dollar (USD), the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF is also traded in USD.

#5 Total Expense Ratio For that ETF

Last but certainly not least, one of the advantages of investing via ETF is cost. In this regard, the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF doesn't disappoint us with a total expense ratio of 0.68% p.a. This compares favourably with some of its overseas peers such as the CSOP HST INDEX ETF, which has a total expense ratio of 1.05% p.a.

To be clear, the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF isn't the cheapest ETF that you can invest in for the Hang Seng TECH Index because the iShares Hang Seng TECH ETF offered by BlackRock has an expense ratio of 0.25% p.a. However, this would require you to invest in Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) or US Dollar (USD) around the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

If you are keen to gain some exposure to the technology companies around the Hang Seng TECH Index, there are a few ways you can invest in the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF.

As it's already on the SGX, the easiest way to buy the ETF is through a local brokerage platform such as OCBC Securities that provides you access to the SGX.

Since the ETF is an EIP, you don't need to pass the CAR review and can simply start trading it right away. With a minimum trading board lot size of just 10 units around the SGX, you can invest in this ETF with under S$20 (Assumes NAV of the ETF is S$1.50 per unit and minimum trading lot dimensions are 10 units on SGX, excluding fees and charges).

If you are looking to invest in larger amounts, OCBC Securities can also be offering S$0 commission for all buy trades of 10,000 units or even more in a single order. This promotion will run from now till 31 December 2021. Learn more about the promotion here.

For those who prefer dollar-cost averaging to avoid market timing risk, the Lion-OCBC Securities Hang Seng TECH ETF will also be available on the OCBC Blue Chip Investment Plan.

Disclaimers

Trading in securities, futures and/or leveraged foreign currency and borrowing to finance the trading of securities (leveraging/gearing) can be quite risky, and you may lose all or more than the amount invested or deposited. Where necessary, please talk to an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of any trade or investment product taking into account your investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs prior to making a commitment to trade or purchase the investment product. You should consider carefully and exercise caution in making any trading decision whether you have received advice from the financial adviser. If you choose not to seek independent financial advice, please consider if the trade or product under consideration is suitable for you.

This ETF is subjected to the following principal risks including but not limited to market risk, index sector risks, concentration risk, tracking error risk, foreign currency risk and risk factors relating to the index. Some or all the risks may adversely modify the Fund's Net Asset Value, yield, total return and/or being able to achieve its investment objective. You should note the risk factors associated with investing in the ETF. The statements in the prospectus are intended to be summaries of a few of these risks. They are by no means exhaustive plus they do not offer advice on the suitability of purchasing the ETF. You should read the prospectus and carefully consider the risk factors described together with all of the other information included in the prospectus before deciding whether to invest in the ETF.

All views expressed here fit in with and are independent opinions of DollarsAndSense.sg and therefore are for information purposes only. They do not take into account the specific objectives, financial situation or particular needs associated with a particular person. You should not make any decisions without independently verifying or assessing the contents. OCBC Securities Private Limited (“OCBC Securities”) doesn't endorse and makes no representation or warranty whatsoever in respect of any view expressed here and shall 't be responsible for any loss or damage whatsoever arising, directly or indirectly, howsoever as a result of any person acting on any view expressed here.

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