diversification

Solar technology continues to advance, but one key drawback to investing in it is that it is still heavily dependent on government subsidies. Many of these subsidies seem likely to continue, at least for now, in China, Japan and the U.S., and that’s fuelling demand from utilities for large-scale solar plants. However, solar subsidies have lost support in many countries, including Germany and Spain. Meanwhile, low prices for oil, natural gas and coal make solar power less cost-competitive. We haven’t found any solar stocks we recommend as buys. However, here’s a look at a leading solar ETF:...

The most valuable advice I can give you today is this: don’t be too quick to take profits in your U.S. stocks. Since the 1995 launch of our first advisory service, The Successful Investor, we’ve been advising Canadian investors to include up to 25% or so of their portfolios in U.S. stocks The U.S. market gives you access to the world’s top stocks. These stocks come in a range of size and quality that’s largely unavailable in Canada. In 1995, many of these stocks seemed likely to get even more successful as years passed, and that’s what happened. We think things will work out much the same in the next 20 years....

The most valuable advice I can give you today is this: don’t be too quick to take profits in your U.S. stocks. Since the 1995 launch of our first advisory service, The Successful Investor, we’ve been advising Canadian investors to include up to 25% or so of their portfolios in U.S. stocks The U.S. market gives you access to the world’s top stocks. These stocks come in a range of size and quality that’s largely unavailable in Canada. In 1995, many of these stocks seemed likely to get even more successful as years passed, and that’s what happened. We think things will work out much the same in the next 20 years....

The long view: how good wealth management planning can help Canadian investors buy stocks profitably from their working years to retirement.

Profiting from the global stock market has never been easier for investors

Top stock brokers and portfolio managers provide you with ethical and conflict-free advice—and here are three things they won’t do.

ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $33.84 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

The fund’s geographic breakdown includes China, 23.5%; South Korea, 16.4%; Taiwan, 12.4%; India, 8.2%; South Africa, 7.6%; Brazil, 6.2%; Mexico, 4.8%; Russia, 3.9%; Malaysia, 3.2%; Indonesia, 2.5%; Thailand, 2.2%; and Turkey, 1.4%.

Its top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.7%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.1%; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 2.5%; China Mobile, 2.1%; China Construction Bank, 1.7%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.3%; Hon Hai Precision Industry (Taiwan), 1.1%; and Bank of China, 1.1%.

...

The best income stocks have consistently paid dividends for many years

We see these two international ETFs from South Korea and Germany as sound choices for a diversified portfolio.

Strong consumer products companies share a number of characteristics. These include geographic diversity, a record of rising cash flow and strong balance sheets.