Fund-vs-fund · International Equities
NZ Funds Global UtilitiesvsSmart Automation and Robotics ETF
Both are International Equities funds available to NZ retail investors. Numbers below are sourced from the FMA Disclose register via Sorted Smart Investor and reflect the latest published quarterly fund updates.
What's different at a glance
- Smart Automation and Robotics ETF charges 1.78% lower in annual fund charges (0.75% vs 2.53%).
- Both are New Zealand PIE funds — investor tax is capped at the Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR), maximum 28%.
Where each fund sits in its cohort
Percentile rank vs all 84 international equities funds we've matched on Sorted Smart Investor. Mechanical only — no opinion, no forward-looking view.
Annual fund charge
Lower is better
NZ Funds
2.53%
Highest 3% of cohort
Smartshares
0.75%
Upper half of cohort
5-year return p.a.
Past performance — not a predictor
NZ Funds
—
—
Smartshares
7.04%
Lower half over 5 years
Fund size
Larger = more stable, lower close-risk
NZ Funds
NZ$62m
Lower half by size
Smartshares
NZ$65m
Lower half by size
| Metric | NZ Funds | Smartshares | Lower / higher is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fund charge | 2.53% | 0.75% | Lower is better |
| Risk indicator (1–7) | 5 | 6 | Higher = more volatility |
| 5-year return p.a. | — | 7.04% | Higher is better (past not future) |
| Fund size | NZ$62m | NZ$65m | Larger = more stable, lower close-risk |
| Growth / income split | 78% / 22% | 98% / 2% | More growth = higher long-run return + volatility |
| NZ tax structure | PIE (PIR-capped) | PIE (PIR-capped) | PIE = simpler. FIF = annual return. |
| Currency hedging | — | — | Hedged smooths NZD/foreign FX moves at a small cost. |
| Responsible investment screening | No | No | Specific exclusions live in each fund's SIPO. |
| Available via | Direct | Direct | Platforms accepting retail subscriptions. |
Portfolio overlap
How many top-10 positions both funds hold, and at what weight. Computed from each fund's most recently disclosed top-10 holdings — exact-name matched (Microsoft Corp. = Microsoft Corporation), with a Cash / Cash & Equivalents collapse rule.
What each fund says it does
NZ Funds
NZ Funds Global Utilities
The objective of the Global Utilities fund is to mitigate the impact of inflation on your investment over the medium and/or long term with active management. The fund is anticipated to mainly own and trade international utility company shares. The fund may also hold other actively managed authorised asset classes.Full NZ Funds NZ Funds Global Utilities profile →
Smartshares
Smart Automation and Robotics ETF
The Smart Automation and Robotics ETF is designed to track the return (before tax, fees and other expenses) of the STOXX® Global Automation & Robotics Index. The Index is comprised of stocks from developed and emerging market companies from sectors associated with the development of automatic and robotic technology.Full Smartshares Smart Automation and Robotics ETF profile →
Common questions
What's the difference between the NZ Funds Global Utilities and the Smart Automation and Robotics ETF?
Which fund has lower fees, NZ Funds Global Utilities or Smart Automation and Robotics ETF?
Are both funds PIE-taxed in NZ?
Where can I read the official documents for these funds?
