ASHR vs FLCH

ASHRAXtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF

FLCHAFranklin FTSE China ETF

In short

ASHR The mainland, not the offshore proxy. ASHR tracks the CSI 300, an index of the largest and most liquid stocks listed inside China's domestic A-share market, and it has been doing that job since 2013.

FLCH Cheap and wide, in the best way. FLCH holds roughly a thousand Chinese stocks and charges 0.19% a year, a fraction of what most single-country China funds ask. Whole market, small toll.

Stated mandate

ASHR The fund tracks an index representing the largest and most liquid stocks in China's A-share market.

FLCH The Fund seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the FTSE China RIC Capped Index.

Why people hold it

• ASHR Roughly 300 mainland-listed companies picked for size and liquidity, so one ticker covers the heart of China's domestic market rather than its offshore listings.
• Hugs its index closely and trades actively, which is why it rates as one of the stronger implementations among the China funds we cover.
• The 0.65% expense ratio comes in under the 0.70% median for China single-country ETFs, unusual for a fund reaching a market most rivals do not touch directly.
• Running since 2013 and now a multi-billion-dollar fund, so the A-share access plumbing has years of live use behind it.

• FLCH 0.19% a year, against a roughly 0.70% median for China funds. It also undercuts the category stalwarts MCHI and GXC, both at 0.59%.
• About 1,000 holdings, so you own the long tail of Chinese listings rather than a short list of mega-cap headline names.
• One job, done tightly: mirror the FTSE China RIC Capped Index before fees. On tracking it ranks among the strongest builds in its China peer group.sec.gov

Worth knowing

• ASHR Broad China exposure can be had for less: FLCH charges 0.19% and JCHI 0.15%, both well below ASHR's 0.65%.
• One country, one market. There is no other geography in the basket to cushion a move in Chinese equities or a shift in Beijing's policy.
• Distributions land once or twice a year, so this is a growth-style holding rather than a steady income stream.

• FLCH It is China or nothing. Policy shifts, regulatory news and the currency drive the ride, with no other market in the basket to cushion it.
• Mid-sized and only moderately traded next to the category's giants, so bid-ask spreads can bite more on larger orders.
• Cash comes once or twice a year, not monthly. This is an equity index vehicle, not an income schedule.

Full ASHR profile⁠

Full FLCH profile⁠