Fund-vs-fund · Australasian Equities
Octagon Australasian Equities Fund vs Smart NZ Mid Cap ETF
Both are Australasian 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 NZ Mid Cap ETF charges 0.57% lower in annual fund charges (0.60% vs 1.17%).
- 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 58 australasian equities funds we've matched on Sorted Smart Investor. Mechanical only — no opinion, no forward-looking view.
Annual fund charge
Lower is better
Octagon
1.17%
Upper half of cohort
Smartshares
0.60%
Lower half of cohort
5-year return p.a.
Past performance — not a predictor
Octagon
7.85%
Top 17% over 5 years
Smartshares
0.36%
Lower half over 5 years
Fund size
Larger = more stable, lower close-risk
Octagon
NZ$123m
Upper half by size
Smartshares
NZ$133m
Upper half by size
| Metric | Octagon | Smartshares | Lower / higher is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fund charge | 1.17% | 0.60% | Lower is better |
| Risk indicator (1–7) | 5 | 5 | Higher = more volatility |
| 5-year return p.a. | 7.85% | 0.36% | Higher is better (past not future) |
| Fund size | NZ$123m | NZ$133m | Larger = more stable, lower close-risk |
| Growth / income split | 98% / 2% | 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
Octagon
Octagon Australasian Equities Fund
The Australian Equities Fund invests mostly in Australian shares, and can invest in New Zealand listed shares, where the company has meaningful operations in Australia. It aims to achieve long-term returns (before fees, taxes and other expenses) greater than the S&P/ ASX 200 Accumulation Index, 50% hedged to the New Zealand dollar.Full Octagon Octagon Australasian Equities Fund profile →
Smartshares
Smart NZ Mid Cap ETF
The Smart NZ Mid Cap ETF is designed to track the return (before tax, fees and other expenses) of the S&P/NZX MidCap Index. The Index is comprised of companies listed on the NZX that are included in the S&P/NZX 50 Index but are not included in the S&P/NZX 10 Index.Full Smartshares Smart NZ Mid Cap ETF profile →
Common questions
What's the difference between the Octagon Australasian Equities Fund and the Smart NZ Mid Cap ETF?
Which fund has lower fees, Octagon Australasian Equities Fund or Smart NZ Mid Cap ETF?
How do the 5-year returns compare?
Are both funds PIE-taxed in NZ?
Where can I read the official documents for these funds?
