With ASX investor interest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continuing to remain strong, it might be beneficial to take a look at some of the best-performing funds of 2022 thus far.
As most investors would know, this year has been an especially tough one.
Given the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lost about 10.6% over the year to date, ASX 200 index funds would have suffered a similar fate. So let's take a look at which ASX ETFs have been winners for investors this year.
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The 3 best-performing ASX ETFs of 2022 (thus far)
BetaShares Strong U.S. Dollar Fund (ASX: YANK)
This is a rather unique ETF in that it doesn't cover companies at all. Rather this fund has been designed to give exposure solely to the performance of the US dollar compared to the Aussie dollar. So if the US dollar rises against our own (and our dollar falls), the value of this fund is supposed to rise.
This fund also uses leverage to amplify these movements. So it's perhaps no surprise that the Strong Dollar ETF has had a cracking year.
This fund has given investors a return of 25.1% year to date, thanks to the rampant greenback that has come to dominate the currency markets this year.
BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF (ASX: FUEL)
This ETF, as its code so aptly implies, is a fund that tracks a basket of global energy companies. Its primary holdings are the US oil giants Chevron and Exxon Mobil, but also includes Royal Dutch Shell and BP.
As motorists everywhere would be painfully aware, 2022 has seen energy prices explode. This has been detrimental for energy users, but highly lucrative for energy shares like those above. So it's perhaps no surprise that this ETF has given investors a 32% return over the year to date.
Global X Ultra Short NASDAQ 100 Hedge Fund (ASX: SNAS)
Here we have another rather special ETF. This NASDAQ Hedge Fund is another ETF that uses leverage. But it is also an inverse ETF. This means that it has been engineered to rise in value when the index it tracks falls (and vice versa). In this case, it is the US-based NASDAQ-100 (NASDAQ: NDX).
As it happens, the NASDAQ 100 has had a shocker, falling by a nasty 31.46% on yesterday's pricing. But investors of this Ultra Short ETF will find that music to their ears. That's because this fall has enabled an eye-popping 76.3% increase in the value of this fund over 2022 thus far.
