Latest Stock Advice
It is important to note that some types of investments provide more security than others. Investors seeking safe investment options should look for well-established companies with hidden assets among other key characteristics.
Top pick Yum Brands Inc. gives you sales growth, steady EPS growth, and a solid dividend
Nutrien Ltd. offers exposure to potash and nitrogen prices, a stable retail base and strong profitability.
Groupe Dynamite Inc. is a high‑quality specialty retailer with gains ahead.
Become a Successful Investor
Investing in agriculture ETFs could be a smart move if you choose the right investments for the right reasons
When investing in rare earth metals, you need to look at the unique geographical and political environment the mining company produces in.
Global X Social Media ETF, $16.63, symbol SOCL on Nasdaq (Units outstanding: 4.1 million; Market cap: $68.2 million; www.globalxfunds.com), invests in companies that provide social networking, file sharing and other web-based media applications. This exchange traded fund holds 36 social media stocks. U.S. social media stocks make up 49% of assets. China is next with 28%; Japan, 12%; Russia, 7%; Ireland, 2%; Taiwan, 2%; and Germany, 1%. The fund’s MER is 0.65%. It began trading as a new issue on November 14, 2011....
BMO Europe High Dividend Covered Call Hedged to CAD ETF, $18.34, symbol ZWE on Toronto (Units outstanding: 2.5 million; Market cap: $45.9 million; www.etfs.bmo.com), holds mostly high-quality European stocks. These include BP plc, Swiss Re AG, HSBC Holdings plc, Total SA, Teliasonera AG, Allianz SE and Nordea Bank AB. The ETF is reasonably well balanced across the five economic sectors. It’s also focused on the more stable European countries, with 23.1% of its assets in Switzerland, 18.4% in France, 15.8% in Germany, 15.0% in Sweden, 12.3% in the Netherlands and 10.1% in the U.K. In general, a substantial portion of the ETF’s portfolio hedges the movement of the Canadian dollar against the euro, Swiss franc, British pound and so on. That guards against the upward movement of the Canadian dollar compared to those foreign currencies. But if they rise while your investment is hedged, any gain you’d otherwise enjoy will be reduced....
ING Group NV (ADR), $11.70, symbol ING on New York (ADRs outstanding: 3.9 billion; Market cap: $44.2 billion; www.ing.com), is a global financial institution that offers banking, insurance and asset management to approximately 75 million clients in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, Asia and Australia. The bank is in the final stages of selling off its insurance businesses. This is part of a broad restructuring effort that ING began after it received a Dutch government bailout during the 2008 financial crisis. Last year, ING sold its remaining shares in U.S. insurer Voya Financial. It still has a stake of around 14% in Dutch insurer NN Group NV. ING’s outlook is positive, especially in its core Dutch market. The Dutch economy is improving following a lengthy crisis in 2012 and 2013—the housing market is up and disposable incomes are rising....
Offshore investing may seem like an attractive option to lower your taxes, but you need to be aware of the risks.