Topic: ETFs

Here’s a look at two new ETFs for Canadians

This month we highlight the Canadian listing of a very popular U.S. ETF from JP Morgan, as well as another listing of a “quality equity” fund from BMO.

JPMorgan US Equity Premium Income Active ETF $26.61 (Toronto symbol JEPI) invests in the shares of U.S. companies—plus it sells call options to generate additional income. This ETF has been available in the U.S. since May 2020 (New York symbol JEPI). That fund has attracted a sizeable asset base of $37 billion.

The underlying stock portfolio is actively managed; the portfolio currently lists 247 stocks, with familiar names such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.

Trading in the Canadian version started on September 27, 2024 and has $24.9 million in assets so far. The MER is 0.35%.

The JPMorgan US Equity Premium Income Active ETF yields a high 7.2%. However, the dividend income it receives from its own portfolio is insufficient to cover its distribution to its unitholders. To make up the difference, the ETF aims to raise its returns by writing call options on the portfolio’s securities.

While the yield on this ETF looks attractive, the sale of covered call options reduces the upside potential of its stock holdings. That’s because when the stocks that the fund owns go up, holders of any call options on those stocks will buy them from the ETF at the agreed-upon price. That means the fund loses out on any future price gains. Over the long run, we feel investors are better off investing in an ETF that holds stocks without the call option strategy.

We don’t recommend this ETF.

BMO MSCI EAFE High-Quality ETF $29.80 (Toronto symbol ZIQ) invests in large and mid-capitalization issuers across developed market countries, excluding Canada and the U.S.

The ETF tracks the MSCI EAFE Quality Index. Stocks in that index are screened for indicators of quality such as a high return on equity, stable profit growth, and low debt. The ETF holds 219 stocks. Current main holdings include Novo Nordisk, ASML, Nestle, and Roche.

The fund launched on October 24, 2024 and has gathered $3.0 million in assets. The estimated MER is 0.75%.

This ETF is okay to hold.

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