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How to invest in RTS index funds in 2025
In this guide
- 1. How to invest in RTS index funds in 2025
- 2. Where can I invest in the RTS index?
- 3. Step 1. Sign up to FxPro Copy link to section We recommend using FxPro to invest in RTS. Sign up for a brokerage account and deposit some money. You may need to supply a form of photo ID to verify the account. How to invest in RTS Index Min. Deposit n/a Fees – No. assets n/a Demo account – Visit site Step 2. Decide how to buy RTS Copy link to section This boils down to choosing between an RTS ETF or CFD. ETFs are generally better suited to investors who want to passively track the RTS’s performance. CFDs offer a greater range of trading options: you can use leverage, short the index, or buy and sell it outside of trading hours. Step 3. Invest in the RTS Copy link to section Sign into your trading account and search for the RTS. Hit the ‘buy’ button and enter the details of your purchase, such as how much you want to spend. Hit ‘buy’ again to execute the trade. Step 4. Monitor your investment Copy link to section When you buy a CFD, the trade goes through more or less instantly, and you’ll be able to see your new open position in your trading account. ETF purchases can take longer, and if you buy outside of traditional trading hours it won’t go through until the next morning. Your trading account will show the price change in the RTS since you bought it, so you can see your profit/loss at a glance. Use that information, along with your own research, to decide when to sell the RTS and close your position, ideally at a profit! The different ways to invest in the RTSI
- 4. What are the disadvantages of investing in the RTS index? Copy link to section The main risk of investing in the RTS is that all the underlying companies are related in some way, so a broader economic downturn that affected the entire country would likely affect many stocks in the index at the same time. Here are some more risks of RTS investing.Geopolitical issues can impact its performance. Investing in the Russian market is risky, especially with recent geopolitical tensions, economic sanctions, and regulatory changes that have significantly impacted the index’s performance. There is a risk from currency fluctuations. The Russian Ruble is volatile and can be subject to significant fluctuations against other major currencies. This can impact the returns of foreign investors. The RTS has historically been volatile. The RTS index has historically been volatile. Sharp swings in both directions mean investing in the index can be risky, especially for the short term. The war with Ukraine has impacted the index. The ongoing war with Ukraine, political and economic stability, and trade sanctions have significantly impacted the index’s performance. It is important to keep an eye on any developments within the region. Invest in the RTS Index FAQs
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It only takes a few minutes to invest in the RTS index. One of the simplest and most popular ways to invest is to buy shares in a Vanguard RTS ETF through an online trading platform.
Where can I invest in the RTS index?
Copy link to sectionAccording to our expert research, FxPro is the best ETF broker to invest in RTS index funds.
Both RTS ETFs and RTS CFDs are available to invest in through FxPro .
Here are three more places to buy the RTS, ranked according to their cost, security, and features.
AvaTrade
How do I invest in the RTSI index?
Copy link to sectionThe easiest way is to sign up to a stock broker, open an investment account, and buy shares in an RTS ETF or CFD. This guide explains how to do it:
Step 1. Sign up to FxPro
Copy link to sectionWe recommend using FxPro to invest in RTS. Sign up for a brokerage account and deposit some money. You may need to supply a form of photo ID to verify the account.
Step 2. Decide how to buy RTS
Copy link to sectionThis boils down to choosing between an RTS ETF or CFD. ETFs are generally better suited to investors who want to passively track the RTS’s performance. CFDs offer a greater range of trading options: you can use leverage, short the index, or buy and sell it outside of trading hours.
Step 3. Invest in the RTS
Copy link to sectionSign into your trading account and search for the RTS. Hit the ‘buy’ button and enter the details of your purchase, such as how much you want to spend. Hit ‘buy’ again to execute the trade.
Step 4. Monitor your investment
Copy link to sectionWhen you buy a CFD, the trade goes through more or less instantly, and you’ll be able to see your new open position in your trading account. ETF purchases can take longer, and if you buy outside of traditional trading hours it won’t go through until the next morning.
Your trading account will show the price change in the RTS since you bought it, so you can see your profit/loss at a glance. Use that information, along with your own research, to decide when to sell the RTS and close your position, ideally at a profit!
The different ways to invest in the RTSI
Copy link to sectionAs we mentioned above, there are numerous ways to put your money into the RTS. ETFs and CFDs are the simplest options for beginners, but there are alternatives. Here’s a brief overview of each option and who it’s best suited for.
RTS ETFs
Copy link to sectionAn ETF (exchange-traded fund) is an investment fund traded on a stock exchange, much like a stock. Exchange traded funds can hold different assets, such as individual stocks, bonds, or commodities, or serve as a proxy for a stock market index.
An RTS ETF is one way of investing in the RTS. It’s simply an investment fund that mirrors the performance of the RTS. When you buy shares in the fund, the value of your investment will rise or fall with the RTS itself.
ETFs are ideal for new investors because they have a very low minimum investment. You can start with a few pounds and get exposure to some of the world’s largest companies. They’re also practical if you plan on trading the RTS index, because you can buy or sell shares in the fund throughout the day.
Examples of popular RTSI ETFs
- iShares MSCI Russia ETF (ERUS)
- VanEck Vectors Russia ETF (RSX)
- SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL)
RTS index funds
Copy link to sectionAn index or mutual fund is an investment fund that aims to track the performance of a stock market index, such as the RTS. It’s very similar to an ETF, in that there are low management fees and you can buy shares through your online broker.
However, there are a couple of differences. RTS index funds are only priced at the end of each trading day, so you can buy or sell shares in the fund once per day. There may also be a higher barrier to entry, through a much larger minimum investment when you invest in RTS index funds.
That means an RTS mutual fund is better suited for long term investors with a higher initial budget, where the infrequent trading and barriers to entry are far less of an issue.
RTS CFDs
Copy link to sectionCFDs (contracts for difference) are a way to speculate on RTS price changes with more flexibility than if you use an ETF or index fund. A CFD is a ‘derivative’, which means it gets its value from the underlying asset – in this case the RTS – but it’s separate from it.
As a result, CFDs can be leveraged, where you borrow money to multiply the size of the trade, or they can be used to go ‘short’, where you place a trade on the index to fall in value. You can also buy and sell them outside of regular trading hours.
All of this means RTS CFDs offer the potential to outperform a fund that passively tracks the RTS’s performance. Of course, you can also underperform it as well. Tools like leverage and shorting introduce a lot more risk, and are best left to experienced traders.
RTS futures
Copy link to sectionFutures contracts are agreements to buy or sell the RTSI at an agreed price on a set date in the future. RTS futures are a means to predict how you think the index is going to perform over a set time frame, such as the next three or six months.
Most futures contracts involve leverage, so you only put up a small part of the total trade value (the margin) when you buy one. That makes futures more risky, and they require a bit more financial expertise to understand as well.
Some traders use futures as a hedge against the performance of stocks they own. For instance, if you own stocks that are part of the RTS then you might want to short the RTS so that you still make some money if the price falls.
RTS stocks
Copy link to sectionAnother way to invest in the RTS is to buy shares in the individual stocks that the index tracks. It isn’t practical to buy every share in the index, but you can invest directly into a few of the most heavily weighted stocks in the RTS in order to get broad exposure to its performance.
The most heavily weighted stocks in the RTS tend to be the largest companies by market capitalisation. If you invest directly in those largest stocks, you gain exposure to the index without taking on the risk of all the underlying companies.
One reason to do this is that these larger companies with the highest market cap dominate the index anyway, so that it can give you the impression of a diversified portfolio while actually being reliant on the performance of those particular stocks.
For the RTS index, the largest stocks you might choose to invest in are:
Company | Index weight |
---|---|
Gazprom (GAZP) | 12.99% |
Sberbank of Russia (SBER) | 9.75% |
Lukoil (LKOH) | 8.86% |
Norilsk Nickel (GMKN) | 8.54% |
Novatek (NVTK) | 7.23% |
Rosneft (ROSN) | 6.52% |
Yandex (YNDX) | 5.26% |
Surgutneftegas (SNGS) | 4.54% |
Tatneft (TATN) | 3.99% |
Moscow Exchange (MOEX) | 3.60% |
The flip side of investing directly like this is that you lose the diversification and stability that comes with buying into an entire index. It requires much more hands-on management to do your own stock picking, so it’s best suited to more experienced investors.
How much does it cost to invest in the RTS index?
Copy link to sectionFrom $0 to $5, depending on how you invest. For each option, you must consider the cost of buying the actual asset, whether that’s an ETF, index fund, CFD, or share, plus the fees associated with it.
Instrument | Trading fee | Management fee |
---|---|---|
Exchange traded funds | $0-$5.99 | 0-0.2% |
Index fund / mutual fund | $0-$5.99 | 0.1-2% |
Individual stock | $0-$3 | None |
CFD | $0 | None |
*A fee comparison of 3 leading brokers for example purposes
ETFs and CFDs are generally the cheapest option overall, as they have low fees and a low minimum investment. Index funds and mutual funds have low fees but may have a high minimum investment. Buying individual stocks is the most expensive option in absolute terms, because the share price of a single large company is often more than $100.
All options are likely to include a trading fee, which you pay each time you make a transaction. Some trading platforms offer zero-fee trading, with others it may be a few dollars.
Then ETFs and index funds each have their own expense ratio. Expense ratios refer to an annual management fee, charged as a percentage of your total investment. Expense ratios are usually no more than 0.05%, so if you invest $1,000, you would pay $5 per year in management fees.
Should I invest in the RTS index?
Copy link to sectionYes, RTS investing is a great choice if you’re looking for a safer investment with more price stability compared to picking individual stocks. It gives you an instantly diverse portfolio with exposure to a broad area of the stock market.
The flip side is that you have less control over which companies you invest in. An index committee decides how the index works, and you can’t pick and choose the underlying companies you like the most. The RTS is better suited to hands-off investors, compared to those who have the skills, experience, and desire to pick their own stocks.
What are the advantages of investing in the RTS index?
Copy link to sectionAn index provides instant stock market diversification, where you spread your risk across a large number of underlying companies, rather than one or two. Here are some more reasons why you might want to invest in the RTS index:
- The RTS provides exposure to a range of industries. The RTS index is made up of companies from various sectors, including energy, finance, metals, mining, and communications. This broad range of industries provides exposure to various aspects of the Russian economy.
- The index is geographically diverse. The index includes stocks from all parts of Russia, which is the largest in Eastern Europe, providing investors access to one of the fastest-growing economies.
- There is potential for high returns. While the Russian economy has been hit hard by the war, if in the future conditions change, there is potential for fast and large returns.
- Some of the stocks in the index pay dividends. Some of the biggest stocks that comprise the index pay dividends. This means by investing in funds or ETFs that track it, you’ll receive a share of these dividends.
What are the disadvantages of investing in the RTS index?
Copy link to sectionThe main risk of investing in the RTS is that all the underlying companies are related in some way, so a broader economic downturn that affected the entire country would likely affect many stocks in the index at the same time. Here are some more risks of RTS investing.
- Geopolitical issues can impact its performance. Investing in the Russian market is risky, especially with recent geopolitical tensions, economic sanctions, and regulatory changes that have significantly impacted the index’s performance.
- There is a risk from currency fluctuations. The Russian Ruble is volatile and can be subject to significant fluctuations against other major currencies. This can impact the returns of foreign investors.
- The RTS has historically been volatile. The RTS index has historically been volatile. Sharp swings in both directions mean investing in the index can be risky, especially for the short term.
- The war with Ukraine has impacted the index. The ongoing war with Ukraine, political and economic stability, and trade sanctions have significantly impacted the index’s performance. It is important to keep an eye on any developments within the region.