This was in sharp contrast to trades by retail investors where only three of the top 20 were ETFs.
AUSIEX noted that ETF trades by advised investors were up by 30 per cent compared to the first six months of 2024, with popular products sitting in the global and Australian equity sectors.
The trading platform said it had received feedback that advisers believe their clients should more diversified in their portfolios and ETFs are a way to achieve that whereas direct retail investors tended to still retain a preference for shares.
Among popular ETFs bought by advised investors were:
- VanEck S&P/ASX MidCap ETF
- BetaShares Geared US Equity Fund
- VanEck MSCI International Quality (Hedged) ETF
- Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF
- Vanguard Australian Shared Index ETF
- VanEck Australian Equal Weight ETF
- Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF
- Betashares Australian Hybrids Active ETF
- VanEck Australian Subordinated Debt ETF
- Betashares Australian Investment Grade Corp Bond ETF
- Global X Ultra Short Nasdaq 100 Complex ETF
As well ETFs, the Metrics Master Income Trust was also a popular buy in the light of increased demand for private credit.
Research by ETF provider Global X earlier this week found overall ETF flows had risen 97 per cent in the first six months of 2025 to $21.3 billion, up from $10.8 billion in the same period a year ago. It noted there has been increased use of the products by financial advisers as well as them being held in model portfolios.
However, AUSIEX said direct shares remained the most popular overall, with resources shares Woodside and BHP holding the top two spots for overall trades during the period as well as financial stocks Macquarie and Westpac also sitting in the top five.
Despite seeing strong growth during the period, big four bank CBA sat down in 16th place for advised investors and 14th for retail ones, and it was actually one of the most sold shares for advised investors. Other sales by advised investors included Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF, Magellan Global Fund Open Class, Woolworths, Transurban, and Xero.
Chris Hill, national manager of strategic relationships at AUSIEX, said: “During the past financial year, individual retail investors tended to buy mining stocks, taking profits in some bank stocks.
“In stark contrast, advisers relied on a handful of blue chips and a broad range of ETFs to build clients’ portfolios in the first half of 2025. The latter included Australian stock indexes, US and European indices, as well as fixed income ETFs.
“The volume of trading by advised investors in the second half of the past financial year was down 9 per cent compared to the second half of the 2024 calendar year, as these investors tended to hold stocks and trade less. By contrast, the number of their ETF trades was up over 30 per cent compared to the first six months of 2024.”
