amazon
Amazon.com is one of the world’s largest technology and e-commerce companies.
Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Amazon began as an online bookstore but quickly expanded into selling a vast range of products, including electronics, clothing, household goods, and more. Today, it operates a massive global online marketplace where individuals and businesses can buy and sell goods.
Beyond e-commerce, Amazon is a major player in several other industries:
- ☁️ Cloud computing through Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the largest cloud platforms in the world
- 🎬 Digital streaming with services like Prime Video
- 📦 Logistics and delivery, with its own shipping network
- 🧠 Technology and AI, including devices like Alexa and Echo
Amazon is known for its focus on customer convenience, fast delivery (such as Prime shipping), and a wide selection of products and services.
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We recommend that investors diversify up to 30% of their portfolios into U.S. stocks and as much as 10% into international securities. One attractive way for safety-conscious investors to do this is with exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Today we look at several ETFs from a U.S. firm that offer a low-fee way to achieve this diversification. We profile two Vanguard ETFs that track a U.S. large-cap index and an emerging market index.
Pennsylvania-based Vanguard Group is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. In all, it administers almost $3 trillion U.S. in 170 mutual funds.
Vanguard, which went into business in 1975, offers low-fee index mutual funds. Generally speaking, Canadians can’t buy units of mutual funds that are registered in the U.S., because they aren’t registered with provincial securities commissions. For that matter, some Canadian funds aren’t available in all provinces.
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Pennsylvania-based Vanguard Group is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. In all, it administers almost $3 trillion U.S. in 170 mutual funds.
Vanguard, which went into business in 1975, offers low-fee index mutual funds. Generally speaking, Canadians can’t buy units of mutual funds that are registered in the U.S., because they aren’t registered with provincial securities commissions. For that matter, some Canadian funds aren’t available in all provinces.
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: The shares of IBM are down, but its proven ability to adapt to new conditions makes it a value stock with strong growth potential
Pennsylvania-based Vanguard Group is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. In all, it administers almost $3 trillion U.S. in 170 mutual funds. Vanguard, which went into business in 1975, offers low-fee index mutual funds. Generally speaking, Canadians can’t buy units of mutual funds that are registered in the U.S., because they aren’t registered with provincial securities commissions. For that matter, some Canadian funds aren’t available in all provinces. Canadians can, however, buy Vanguard exchange traded funds that trade on stock exchanges. We don’t recommend all of Vanguard’s ETFs, but here are two we do see as low-fee buys....
POWERSHARES QQQ ETF $105.63 (Nasdaq symbol QQQ; buy or sell throughbrokers ; www.invescopowershares.com), formerly called Nasdaq 100 Trust Shares, holds stocks representing the Nasdaq 100 Index, which consists of the 100 largest shares on the Nasdaq exchange by market cap.
The Nasdaq 100 Index contains shares of companies in a number of major industries, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain financial firms. The fund’s expenses are about 0.20% of its assets. It yields 1.0%.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple, Microsoft, Amgen, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel Corp., Amazon.com, Gilead Sciences, Comcast and Facebook.
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The Nasdaq 100 Index contains shares of companies in a number of major industries, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain financial firms. The fund’s expenses are about 0.20% of its assets. It yields 1.0%.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple, Microsoft, Amgen, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel Corp., Amazon.com, Gilead Sciences, Comcast and Facebook.
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Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are set up to mirror the performance of a stock market index or subindex. They hold a more or less fixed selection of securities that represent the holdings that go into the calculation of the index or sub-index. ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks. That’s different from mutual funds, which you can only buy at the end of the day at a price that reflects the fund’s value at the close of trading. Prices of ETFs are quoted in newspaper stock tables and online. You pay brokerage commissions to buy and sell them, but their low management fees give them a cost advantage over most mutual funds....
MACY’S INC., $58.19, New York symbol M, operates 885 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores. It also sells goods online. This week, the company said it would close 35 to 40 of its less profitable Macy’s stores over the next few months. In all, these outlets supply 1% of the company’s sales. It didn’t say how much it expects to pay in severance and other costs. Like most traditional retailers, Macy’s is facing intense competition from online sellers like Amazon.com, which are expanding beyond books and movies to other merchandise such as clothing, shoes and cosmetics. Specialty chains and discount retailers, like Wal-Mart and Target, are also drawing shoppers away from department stores....
VANGUARD GROWTH ETF $110.34 (New York symbol VUG; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) U.S. Large Cap Growth Index, a broadly diversified index that mainly consists of large U.S. companies. The fund’s MER is just 0.09%.
The $48.1-billion Vanguard Growth ETF’s top holdings are Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Oracle, Home Depot, Comcast, Amazon.com, Gilead Sciences and Walt Disney Co.
The fund’s breakdown by industry is as follows: Technology, 23.9%; Consumer Services, 21.8%; Health Care, 14.6%; Financials, 12.1%; Industrials, 11.5%; Consumer Goods, 9.3%; Oil and Gas, 5.0%; Materials, 1.4%; and Telecom Services, 0.3%.
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The $48.1-billion Vanguard Growth ETF’s top holdings are Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Oracle, Home Depot, Comcast, Amazon.com, Gilead Sciences and Walt Disney Co.
The fund’s breakdown by industry is as follows: Technology, 23.9%; Consumer Services, 21.8%; Health Care, 14.6%; Financials, 12.1%; Industrials, 11.5%; Consumer Goods, 9.3%; Oil and Gas, 5.0%; Materials, 1.4%; and Telecom Services, 0.3%.
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Because it’s always important to diversify beyond Canada, a look at two Vanguard ETFs that offer a low-fee way to achieve diversification.
Here are some spinoff stocks we think have gains ahead.
Hewlett-Packard Co., $29.82, symbol HPQ on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $53.7 billion; www.hp.com), plans to split into two firms:
The company rejected a similar plan in 2011. However, Hewlett’s 2014 restructuring, which involved cutting jobs and simplifying product lines, has increased its profit margins and strengthened its balance sheet. That gives these new firms more flexibility to invest in new products and make acquisitions.
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Hewlett-Packard Co., $29.82, symbol HPQ on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $53.7 billion; www.hp.com), plans to split into two firms:
- Hewlett-Packard Enterprise will sell computing products, like servers and analytics software, to businesses and governments. It will also offer cloud computing services and financing. Hewlett-Packard Enterprise will have annual revenue of $58.4 billion and operating profits of $6 billion. Meg Whitman, Hewlett’s current chief executive officer, will become this firm’s CEO.
- The second company, called HP Inc., will focus on the slower-growing personal computer (59% of its revenue) and printer (41%) markets. HP Inc. will have annual revenue of $57 billion and $5 billion of profits. Ms. Whitman will be its chairman.
The company rejected a similar plan in 2011. However, Hewlett’s 2014 restructuring, which involved cutting jobs and simplifying product lines, has increased its profit margins and strengthened its balance sheet. That gives these new firms more flexibility to invest in new products and make acquisitions.
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Pennsylvania-based Vanguard Group is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. In all, it administers almost $3 trillion U.S. in 170 mutual funds. Vanguard, which went into business in 1975, offers low-fee index mutual funds. Generally speaking, Canadians can’t buy units of mutual funds that are registered in the U.S., because they aren’t registered with provincial securities commissions. For that matter, some Canadian funds aren’t available in all provinces. Canadians can, however, buy Vanguard exchange traded funds (ETFs) that trade on stock exchanges. We don’t recommend all of Vanguard’s ETFs, but here are two we do see as low-fee buys....