How to invest in FAANG from Australia

Add some teeth to your portfolio via a FAANG stock or ETF.

What is FAANG?

FAANG is the nickname given to a group of 5 of the world's leading tech stocks - Facebook (Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google (Alphabet).

The 5 FAANG companies are some of the biggest in the world and have a combined market capitalisation of almost US$10 trillion,1 and have become popular with investors due to their performance, influence and market position.

How to invest in FAANG from Australia

The good news is that it's relatively easy to buy the FAANG stocks directly from Australia. It's possible to get started with just a few dollars and all you'll need is a share trading account.

There are two main ways you can invest in FAANG from Australia:

  1. Buy the stocks directly via a share trading platform that offers US stocks.
  2. Buy an ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the performance of the FAANG stocks.

Can I buy FAANG stocks on the ASX?

No, you cannot directly buy the likes of Netflix, Google, Amazon or Facebook shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

All 5 of the FAANG companies actually trade on the Nasdaq exchange in the US, which is the home of many of the biggest tech stocks.

1. Buy the FAANG stocks directly

In order to buy FAANG stocks from Australia, you'll need to have an account with a trading platform that offers access to the US stock market. These days, most online trading platforms lets you trade at least some US stocks (including FAANG), so the way to differentiate is by checking how much each will cost you to buy US stocks.

When you buy US shares, you'll normally need to pay both a brokerage fee and a currency conversion fee.

While some platforms actually offer $0 brokerage when trading US stocks, they might not be the cheapest option once you factor in the currency conversion fee.

Step-by-step guide to buying FAANG stocks in Australia

If you're ready to invest in FAANG, you can follow the steps below to get started:

  1. Compare share trading platforms. When picking a platform for trading US stocks, make sure you look at the brokerage fees, currency conversion fees, available markets and ease-of-use.
  2. Open your account. You'll need to provide your personal details and verify your identity to create a trading account. You'll also need to supply the details of your linked Australian bank account.
  3. Fund your account. You'll also need to add funds to your account before you can start investing. You can generally deposit money via bank transfer.
  4. Place an order. Search for the stock you want to buy using the stock name of ticker code (for example, Netflix is listed as NASDAQ: NFLX). Fill in the order form with the number of shares you wish to purchase and your desired purchase price. When your target price has been hit, your order will be executed.

Find a platform with US stocks

Name Product AUFST Standard brokerage for US shares Currency conversion fee Asset class
eToro
Exclusive
eToro logo
US$2
150 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Exclusive: Get 12 months of investment tracking app Delta PRO for free when you fund your eToro account. T&Cs apply.
Trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account and get access to social trading.
Tiger Brokers
Finder AwardExclusive
Tiger Brokers logo
US$1.99
55 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get 4 brokerage-free trades and pay no FX fees on the first $2,000 you exchange each month with first deposit of any amount + plus get an $80 cash voucher when you deposit up to $2000. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks and US options.
CMC Invest
Finder AwardExclusive
CMC Invest logo
US$0
0.60%
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get $100 trading credit when you transfer $10k+ of either Australian or international stocks to CMC Invest. Only available for the first 50 new clients to participate. Use promo code “100CMC”. T&Cs apply.
Trade over 45,000 shares and ETFs from Australia and 15 major global markets. Plus, buy Aussie shares or ETFs for $0 brokerage up to $1,000 (First buy order of each security, each day - excludes margin loan settled trades).
Moomoo logo
US$0.99
55 pips or 0.0055 AUD/USD
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Unlock up to AUD$4,000 AND US$4,000 in $0 brokerage over 60 days. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks and get access to social trading.
Superhero logo
US$2
65 bps
ASX shares, US shares, ETFs
Sign up with code ‘finder24’ and get US$10 of Nvidia stock when you fund your account with $100 or more within 30 days. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy US$2 brokerage (other fees may apply) on US stocks and buying ETFs as well as $2 fee to trade Australian shares up to $20,000.
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Important: Share trading can be financially risky and the value of your investment can go down as well as up. “Standard brokerage” fee is the cost to trade $1,000 or less of ASX-listed shares and ETFs without any qualifications or special eligibility. If ASX shares aren’t available, the fee shown is for US shares. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

2. Invest in a FAANG ETF

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a convenient, cost-effective way of investing in a range of stocks, such as FAANG.

ETFs are passively-managed funds that invest in a group of different stocks but can be bought and sold on a stock exchange like a normal share.

However, unlike regular managed funds that are chosen and managed by an investment manager, ETFs track the returns of a specific index or market sector, that is, they mirror the movements and returns of a particular market.

If you are looking to invest in an ETF that just features the FAANG stocks, you can't – but you can get pretty close.

The Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG) gives you exposure to the 5 FAANG companies as well as another 5 tech stocks - NVIDIA, Crowdstrike, Broadcom, ServiceNow and Microsoft.2

The FANG+ ETF is traded on the ASX, which means you should be able to buy it via any Australian share trading platform or broker.

If you want general exposure to FAANG, you can also invest in index funds that track either the Nasdaq-100 or S&P 500 indices.

The Nasdaq-100 tracks the 100 largest stocks on the tech-dominated Nasdaq exchange, while the S&P 500 tracks 500 of the largest companies on the US stock market.

Most ETFs that track the Nasdaq-100 or S&P 500 use a weighted average, meaning the bigger companies (like those that make up FAANG) make up a larger proportion of the index. So while you'll technically be getting exposure to 100 or 250 companies if you invest in these ETFs, you'll be getting greater exposure to FAANG stocks.

What FAANG ETFs are on the ASX?

As we mentioned above, the Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG) is the closest you can get to a dedicated FAANG ETF on the ASX.

Otherwise, here are some of the most popular ASX ETFs that offer exposure to FAANG:

  • iShares Global 100 ETF (ASX: IOO)
  • Betashares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)
  • Global X US 100 ETF (ASX: N100)
  • iShares S&P 500 AUD Hedged ETF (ASX: IHVV)
  • iShares S&P 500 AUD ETF (ASX: IVV)
  • BetaShares S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (ASX: QUS)
  • SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ASX: SPY)
  • BetaShares S&P 500 Yield Maximiser Fund (Managed Fund) (ASX: UMAX)

What are the benefits of investing in FAANG stocks?

Despite many of the FAANG stocks growing into more mature businesses, they are still showing impressive growth.

In fact, as of 27 August 2022, the FAANG stocks combined have an annualised return of 23.08% in the last 10 years. This is even with a 33.49% drop in 2022.

The best performing of the FAANG stocks is Apple, which over the last decade has given investors 30.88% returns.

This strong performance is from mature businesses that have a strong, established market share, meaning returns could be more reliable.

Are FAANG stocks safe for beginners?

Due to the sheer size of these stocks, market position and impressive growth, FAANG stocks are a great way for new investors to get into the market.

With their larger size, not only can they be safer investments, but they could continue to outperform the US market.

What are the tax implications of purchasing international stocks?

If you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, you must declare income from overseas investments in your tax return, including from international shares.

If you have already paid foreign tax on your international investments, you may be entitled to an Australian foreign income tax offset. Check out our guide on share trading and the ATO for more information on the tax treatment of investments and always seek professional financial advice before investing in international shares.

DISCLAIMER: This guide contains only general advice and has been written without taking your personal circumstances into consideration. You should consider the applicability of the advice to your financial goals and objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by David Gregory as part of our fact-checking process.
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Publisher

Tom Stelzer is a publisher and writer for Finder, covering investing and cryptocurrency. He previously worked for Finder as a writer in Australia and the UK, covering things like personal finance, loans, investing, insurance as well as small business and business loans. He has a Master of Media Arts and Production and Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney. See full bio

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    CraigJanuary 12, 2019

    How and where can I check my Google shares?

      AvatarFinder
      JoshuaJanuary 16, 2019Finder

      Hi Craig,

      Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)

      The how and where you can check your Google share would depend on how you made the investment. There are three main ways you can buy Google shares; using a broker or online broking platform, through a managed fund, or through an exchange traded fund (ETF).

      For this reason, to check your Google share, you need to directly check with your provider. Typically, they have a platform that you can access where you can check your investments.

      I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

      Have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Joshua

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