ETF market

An ETF, or Exchange-Traded Fund, is a type of investment fund that trades on stock exchanges, similar to individual stocks. It typically holds a collection of assets — such as stocks, bonds, or commodities — and is designed to track the performance of a specific index, sector, or asset class. ETFs offer investors a simple and cost-effective way to diversify their portfolios, with the flexibility to buy and sell shares throughout the trading day.

Explore the ETF market with the ETF Heatmap and browse funds in the ETF Screener right on TradingView.

First, you need to open an account with a broker, which allows you to invest in ETFs. Check out our list of brokers to find the right one for you.

Second, make a thorough research. Get an overview of the market with the ETF Heatmap and further enhance your analysis with the features of the ETF Screener.

Even when you feel prepared, it's always best to test your strategies first — you can do it right on TradingView with our risk-free Paper Trading.

ETFs and mutual funds both offer diversified investing, but they work differently. ETFs trade like stocks during market hours, with prices that fluctuate throughout the day — they often require more active attention. Mutual funds, by contrast, trade only once daily after markets close and are usually more actively managed — though actively managed ETFs exist too.

ETFs typically track an index or asset and change less frequently. Mutual funds may adjust holdings based on the manager’s strategy. You can invest in an ETF by buying a single share, while mutual funds often require higher minimum investments. Mutual funds are also a common choice for regular long-term investing, like monthly contributions.

Use our ETF Screener to find the right ETF for your goals.

There are a lot of different ETF types, each designed to serve different investment goals and strategies. Here are some of the popular options:
- Equity ETFs. These track a specific stock index, sector, or group of companies, e.g. S&P 500, tech stocks, or emerging markets. They offer diversified exposure to stocks
- Fixed income ETFs. These invest in government, municipal, or corporate bonds, offering a way to earn interest and reduce portfolio risk
- Commodity ETFs. These track the price of physical goods like gold, oil, or agricultural products, allowing investors to gain exposure to commodities without owning them directly

Explore more funds with our ETF collections and find those that better fit your strategy.

The expense ratio is the annual fee investors pay for a fund’s management and operations. It’s expressed as a percentage of the fund’s total assets and is automatically deducted from your returns. This fee doesn’t include brokerage commissions or other trading costs — it strictly covers administrative, management, and operational expenses. In general, a lower expense ratio is better, as it helps preserve more of your returns over time.

To help you compare, we’ve compiled a list of ETFs with the highest expense ratios. You can also use our ETF Screener to filter funds by their expense ratio.

AI ETFs are exchange-traded products that provide access to stocks of companies related to AI, including machine learning and AI-related hardware. They usually hold a basket of different stocks, allowing for greater flexibility and portfolio diversification. They can also track the performance of an AI index.

A few to name are VanEck Robotics ETF and ROBO Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF.

Leverage our ETF Screener to find more funds that you desire.

The biggest gainer in the ETF market currently is Direxion Daily MU Bull 2X ETF — its 1-year NAV return is 528.95%. To stay updated, follow our list of ETFs with the highest returns, as well as the collection of the biggest ETF losers to make sure you have all the context possible.

A Bitcoin ETF is an exchange-traded fund that allows investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without having to buy or store the cryptocurrency directly.

There're two types of Bitcoin ETFs: those that follow Bitcoin's spot price and buy and hold Bitcoin in specialized vaults, like the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, and those tracking Bitcoin's futures price, like ProShares Bitcoin ETF — they don't own "physical" Bitcoin but instead invest in Bitcoin futures.

Usually, yes. Dividends can be distributed monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.

There are two types of dividends: qualified and non-qualified.
- Qualified dividends are designated by the ETF as such, meaning they are taxed at capital gains rates. To receive qualified dividends an investor must hold an ETF share for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins 60 days before the ex-dividend date
- Non-qualified dividends are held for 60 days or less and taxed at ordinary income rates

With TradingView you can always track what ETFs pay dividend, as well as the highest-yield dividend ETFs.

Index funds track the performance of specific indices, while ETFs are a broader category and can follow a wide range of instruments. An ETF can be an index fund, just as a mutual fund can also follow an index. For example, the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF is an index-based exchange-traded fund.

Check out our ETF collections to discover new opportunities across different fund types.

The best ETF to invest in is the one you understand and naturally like. If you're pro-crypto, maybe it's worth trying a Bitcoin ETF. If you like tech, go for ETFs that invest in tech companies. Investments are best when they align with who you are.

When it comes to particular funds, the most reputable and popular ETFs are Vanguard's S&P 500 ETF, SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST, Invesco QQQ Trust, and others.

You can find more trusted funds in our list of ETFs with the largest assets under management.

ETF taxation varies by country, but in the US, it depends mainly on how long you hold the shares. If held for one year or less, gains are taxed as ordinary income (up to 37%). If held longer, they’re taxed as long-term capital gains (up to 20%).

Dividends from ETFs are also taxed differently. Qualified dividends are taxed at the lower capital gains rate if the ETF shares are held for more than 60 days within a 121-day window around the ex-dividend date. Non-qualified dividends, held for less than 60 days, are taxed as ordinary income.

In our ETF Screener, you can always sort out and find the best ETF for you. For more performance visualization, explore our ETF Heatmap.

Gold ETFs are exchange-traded funds that provide exposure to gold, gold futures, or stocks of gold-related companies, such as mining firms. They allow investors to benefit from gold price movements without owning the metal directly. The fund handles transportation, storage, security, and insurance — making it a more convenient and cost-effective alternative to physical gold.

Gold ETFs also offer liquidity, allowing you to easily buy and sell shares on the stock exchange.

Explore our list of gold ETFs to find the ones that suit your goals. And don’t forget to broaden your research using the ETF Heatmap and ETF Screener.

Tech ETFs are exchange-traded funds that provide access to stocks of IT companies. They usually hold a basket of different stocks, allowing for greater flexibility and portfolio diversification. Some tech ETFs, such as Invesco QQQ, track the performance of a tech index. In this case, the Nasdaq-100.

In the ETF Screener, you can apply various filters to find the best ETF for you.