What Australian shares are available on Sharesies?What Australian shares are available on Sharesies?

We’ve added thousands of companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), giving you the opportunity to diversify your investments, invest in businesses that are close to your home and heart, and have your NZ, US, and Australian shares all in one beautiful place! 🍍

Let’s start by looking at the Australian share market and what you can invest in on Sharesies. If you’re curious about how your orders for Australian shares get processed, check out our behind-the-scenes explainer.

A brief history of the ASX

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is the primary stock exchange in Australia. Headquartered in Sydney, the ASX is one of the largest exchanges in the world in terms of market capitalisation.

The Australian share market started in the 1800s, with the Sydney Stock Exchange established in 1871. One of the earliest listed companies on the exchange was Westpac (then known as the Bank of New South Wales), which you can still invest in today!

Other stock exchanges in the states’ capital cities—Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth—opened in the 1880s. All these exchanges came together over a century later in 1987 to form the Australian Stock Exchange. In 2006, the Australian Stock Exchange merged with the Sydney Futures Exchange to become the Australian Securities Exchange, reflecting the range of investments offered on the exchange.

What kind of investments are available on the ASX?

Companies listed on the ASX cover industries such as banking, food, media, retail, and transport, among others. You’ll recognise a bunch of names, including: 

• Afterpay

• ANZ Bank

• Harvey Norman

• Seek 

• Woolworths (who owns Countdown here in NZ) 

• Xero 

• You can even invest in the ASX company itself!

Some companies on the ASX are also listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX). If a company is listed on more than one exchange, it’s dual listed.

You’re also able to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), from fund providers like:

• BetaShares 

• Vanguard 

• iShares

• SPDR (Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipt)—sometimes pronounced ‘spiders’.

These ETFs range from funds that track the 200 largest companies on the ASX, right through to a global portfolio of sustainable and ethical companies. ETFs can give you exposure to lots of different regions, asset classes, and industries (to name a few).

Wrapping up 🌯

We hope this has given you some insight into Australian shares. If you have any questions or feedback, email us at help@sharesies.co.nz!