Should You Invest in the Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU)?

Launched on 04/12/2019, the Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Technology - Cloud Computing segment of the equity market.

Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Technology - Cloud Computing is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 7, placing it in top 44%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by Global X Management. It has amassed assets over $341.10 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Technology - Cloud Computing segment of the equity market. CLOU seeks to match the performance of the INDXX GLOBAL CLOUD COMPUTING INDEX before fees and expenses.

The Indxx Global Cloud Computing Index provides exposure to exchange-listed companies in developed and emerging markets that are positioned to benefit from the increased adoption of cloud computing technology.

Costs

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.68%, making it one of the more expensive products in the space.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Looking at individual holdings, Snowflake Inc-Class A (SNOW) accounts for about 5.50% of total assets, followed by Zscaler Inc (ZS) and Twilio Inc - A (TWLO).

The top 10 holdings account for about 44.53% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has lost about -5.01% so far this year and was up about 14.20% in the last one year (as of 05/28/2025). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $18.22 and $26.34.

The ETF has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 30.01% for the trailing three-year period. With about 39 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

Global X Cloud Computing ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, CLOU is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF (WCLD) tracks BVP NASDAQ EMERGING CLOUD INDEX and the First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) tracks ISE Cloud Computing Index. WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF has $396.97 million in assets, First Trust Cloud Computing ETF has $3.40 billion. WCLD has an expense ratio of 0.45% and SKYY charges 0.60%.

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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