4 ETFs that Bet on AI

Nvidia is not the only famous stock to bet on this new technology and its various applications

Jocelyn Jovene 23 February, 2024 | 9:50AM
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Nvidia’s (NVDA) impressive financial results are showing the world just how important the need for computing power is becoming in feeding the hunger for artificial intelligence.

Nvidia is the largest provider of those graphic processors that are best suited to train AI models, but the company is not the only one benefiting from an increase in demand for AI-based applications.

Other firms are also surfing the growing demand for these new technologies, including software developers, cloud computing specialists, semiconductor makers, and services providers from computer-aided design (CAD) to consulting. All these could be part of changing the whole economy in the same way the internet did when it emerged 30 years ago.

As an investor, one way to capture on the AI trend is via ETFs, which can be a convenient way of betting money on this popular technology through a diversified portfolio of companies, without the burden of picking stocks.

Digging into Morningstar data, we have identified four ETFs for the AI trend that are available for sale in Europe. They are all rate positively by Morningstar’s researchers. This is due to being relatively cheap compared to their peers, and have generated solid returns so far – though while still being relatively young (the “oldest” ETF was launched in 2018).

Investors are reminded that thematic ETFs can be highly volatile since they are focused bets on specific themes. As we explored earlier this week, niche ETFs involve even more due diligence than normal.

Looking into the holdings of some of these products, investors will find a quite large exposure to the famous “Magnificent 7”, with Nvidia being the largest holding for many, followed by other popular names such as Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) or Salesforce (CRM) and Adobe (ADBE).

Interestingly, the Wisdom Tree Artificial Intelligence ETF places its largest bets in lesser-known companies, such as PKSHA Technology (3993) of Japan, SentinelOne (S), Mediatek (2454) and UiPath (PATH). It also gives exposure to AMD and Nvidia, but shows an alternative approach to the more obvious stock picks. By picking the right ETF for your investment goals, some of the risks that comes with concentrating your AI bet on a single stock or even a limited number of stocks, will be mitigated, potentially avoiding the risk of one stock’s return proving disastrous over time.

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The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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About Author

Jocelyn Jovene

Jocelyn Jovene  is Senior Financial Analyst and Senior Editor for Morningstar France.

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