etf
An ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) is an investment fund that holds a collection of underlying assets, such as stocks or bonds, in a single pooled vehicle. ETFs allow investors to purchase a variety of different securities at once, providing greater diversification compared to owning individual assets. They are traded on stock exchanges like regular stocks, allowing for intraday trading at market prices. ETFs typically have lower fees than mutual funds and often passively track an index or sector, making them a popular choice for investors seeking a cost-effective way to invest in a diversified portfolio.
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Global X Social Media ETF, $17.72 symbol SOCL on Nasdaq (Units outstanding: 7.8 million; Market cap: $138.2 million; www.globalxfunds.com), invests in companies that provide social networking, file sharing and other web-based media applications. This exchange traded fund holds 27 social media stocks. U.S. social media stocks make up 55.0% of assets. China is next with 25.6%; Japan, 11.0%; the Netherlands, 3.8%; Russia, 2.4%; Taiwan, 1.2%; and Germany, 1.0%. The fund’s MER is 0.65%. It began trading as a new issue on November 14, 2011. Since then, it has been far more volatile than the Standard & Poor’s 500 market index, and has consistently underperformed the index. Since it began trading, the fund has gained around 23%. In the same time, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has gained around 57%....
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $66.60 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $80.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%, www.scotiabank.com) has formally changed the name of its ING Direct subsidiary to Tangerine (www.tangerine.ca).
The bank bought ING Direct from its Netherlands-based parent, ING Group, in November 2012. This business provides no-fee banking services to 1.9 million clients, mainly over the Internet. The new name will let Bank of Nova Scotia keep using the orange colour associated with the ING Direct brand.
Tangerine will continue to operate separately from the bank’s retail banking operations. However, Bank of Nova Scotia will let Tangerine customers use its ATMs without paying fees.
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The bank bought ING Direct from its Netherlands-based parent, ING Group, in November 2012. This business provides no-fee banking services to 1.9 million clients, mainly over the Internet. The new name will let Bank of Nova Scotia keep using the orange colour associated with the ING Direct brand.
Tangerine will continue to operate separately from the bank’s retail banking operations. However, Bank of Nova Scotia will let Tangerine customers use its ATMs without paying fees.
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ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL INDEX FUND $47.04 (New York Exchange symbol EWZ; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that is designed to track the Brazilian stock market.
Its top holdings are Petrobras (oil and gas), 10.3%; Cia Itau Unibanco Holding (banking), 8.7%; Vale do Rio Doce (mining), 8.1%; Cia de Bebidas das Americas (beer and beverages), 7.6%; Banco Brandesco, 6.4%; and BRF SA (food), 3.5%.
The ETF was launched on July 10, 2000. It has an expense ratio of 0.62%.
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Its top holdings are Petrobras (oil and gas), 10.3%; Cia Itau Unibanco Holding (banking), 8.7%; Vale do Rio Doce (mining), 8.1%; Cia de Bebidas das Americas (beer and beverages), 7.6%; Banco Brandesco, 6.4%; and BRF SA (food), 3.5%.
The ETF was launched on July 10, 2000. It has an expense ratio of 0.62%.
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ISHARES MSCI CHILE INVESTABLE MARKET INDEX FUND $46.03 (New York Exchange symbol ECH; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that aims to track the MSCI Chile Investable Market Index, which consists of stocks that mainly trade on the Santiago Stock Exchange.
The fund’s top holdings are S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 9.0%; Enersis SA (electricity), 8.8%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.5%; LATAM Airlines, 6.9%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 6.7%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 5.2%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 4.7%; Quimica y Minera de Chile (mining), 4.5%; Banco de Chile, 4.4%; and Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 4.0%.
The fund’s industry breakdown is: Utilities, 25.0%; Financials, 17.3%; Materials, 13.7%; Consumer Discretionary, 10.6%; Industrials, 9.9%; Consumer Staples, 9.9%; Energy, 8.5%; Telecommunications, 2.4%; and Information Technology, 2.0%.
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The fund’s top holdings are S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 9.0%; Enersis SA (electricity), 8.8%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.5%; LATAM Airlines, 6.9%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 6.7%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 5.2%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 4.7%; Quimica y Minera de Chile (mining), 4.5%; Banco de Chile, 4.4%; and Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 4.0%.
The fund’s industry breakdown is: Utilities, 25.0%; Financials, 17.3%; Materials, 13.7%; Consumer Discretionary, 10.6%; Industrials, 9.9%; Consumer Staples, 9.9%; Energy, 8.5%; Telecommunications, 2.4%; and Information Technology, 2.0%.
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ISHARES MSCI GERMANY FUND $31.68 (New York Exchange symbol EWG; buy or sell through brokers) tracks the stocks in the MSCI Germany Index.
This index aims to replicate 85% of the total market capitalization of the German stock market. The remaining 15% is unavailable for investment, partly due to limitations on foreign ownership.
The ETF’s top holdings are Bayer (diversified chemicals), 8.8%; Siemens (engineering conglomerate), 8.5%; BASF (chemicals), 8.3%; Daimler (autos), 7.1%; Allianz (insurance), 6.2%; SAP (software), 5.8%; Deutsche Telekom, 3.7%; Deutsche Bank, 3.6%; and BMW, 3.3%.
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This index aims to replicate 85% of the total market capitalization of the German stock market. The remaining 15% is unavailable for investment, partly due to limitations on foreign ownership.
The ETF’s top holdings are Bayer (diversified chemicals), 8.8%; Siemens (engineering conglomerate), 8.5%; BASF (chemicals), 8.3%; Daimler (autos), 7.1%; Allianz (insurance), 6.2%; SAP (software), 5.8%; Deutsche Telekom, 3.7%; Deutsche Bank, 3.6%; and BMW, 3.3%.
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ISHARES MSCI SOUTH KOREA INDEX FUND $62.55 (New York Exchange symbol EWY; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Korea Index.
The ETF’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics, 22.1%; Hyundai Motor Co., 5.8%; SK Hynix Semiconductor, 3.5%; Naver (Internet content), 3.4%; Hyundai Mobis (auto parts), 3.3%; Posco (steel), 3.1%; Shinhan Financial, 3.0%; Kia Motors, 2.4%; LG Chemical, 2.0%; and KB Financial, 2.0%.
The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Information Technology, 32.9%; Consumer Discretionary, 19.1%; Financials, 14.2%; Industrials, 12.8%; Materials, 9.2%; Consumer Staples, 5.3%; Energy, 2.1%; Utilities, 1.8%; Telecommunication Services, 1.0%; and Health Care, 0.7%.
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The ETF’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics, 22.1%; Hyundai Motor Co., 5.8%; SK Hynix Semiconductor, 3.5%; Naver (Internet content), 3.4%; Hyundai Mobis (auto parts), 3.3%; Posco (steel), 3.1%; Shinhan Financial, 3.0%; Kia Motors, 2.4%; LG Chemical, 2.0%; and KB Financial, 2.0%.
The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Information Technology, 32.9%; Consumer Discretionary, 19.1%; Financials, 14.2%; Industrials, 12.8%; Materials, 9.2%; Consumer Staples, 5.3%; Energy, 2.1%; Utilities, 1.8%; Telecommunication Services, 1.0%; and Health Care, 0.7%.
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ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $11.08 (New York Exchange symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an ETF that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan index.
The fund’s top holdings include Toyota, 5.8%; Softbank Corp., 2.8%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 2.7%; Honda Motor, 2.2%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 1.9%; Mizuho Financial Group, 1.7%; Japan Tobacco, 1.4%; Hitachi, 1.4%; Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.4%; and Canon, 1.4%.
The fund’s industry breakdown includes: Consumer Discretionary, 20.8%; Industrials, 19.6%; Financials, 19.5%; Information Technology, 10.9%; Consumer Staples, 6.6%; Health Care, 6.4%; Telecommunication Services, 5.7%; Materials, 5.6%; Utilities, 2.5%; and Energy, 1.2%.
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The fund’s top holdings include Toyota, 5.8%; Softbank Corp., 2.8%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 2.7%; Honda Motor, 2.2%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 1.9%; Mizuho Financial Group, 1.7%; Japan Tobacco, 1.4%; Hitachi, 1.4%; Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.4%; and Canon, 1.4%.
The fund’s industry breakdown includes: Consumer Discretionary, 20.8%; Industrials, 19.6%; Financials, 19.5%; Information Technology, 10.9%; Consumer Staples, 6.6%; Health Care, 6.4%; Telecommunication Services, 5.7%; Materials, 5.6%; Utilities, 2.5%; and Energy, 1.2%.
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We think most conservative investors could hold up to 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is to buy carefully chosen exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have an overseas focus. The best ETFs offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of high-quality stocks. Today we examine two international ETFs covered regularly in Canadian Wealth Advisor....
BMO S&P/TSX Laddered Preferred Share Index ETF, $14.48, symbol ZPR on Toronto (Units outstanding: 70.1 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; www.etfs.bmo.com), holds Canadian floating-rate preferred shares. Issuers include Bank of Montreal, Enbridge, BCE, TransCanada and Canadian Utilities. The ETF’s MER is 0.45%. It currently yields 4.3%. Note that the dividends you receive from this fund do benefit from the Canadian dividend tax credit. Floating-rate preferred shares pay dividends that fluctuate with changes in interest rates. The dividend rate may range from 50% to 100% of (usually) the prime bank rate. As interest rates rise, so do floating-preferred dividend yields....
We think conservative investors could hold up to 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is to buy carefully chosen exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have an overseas focus. The best ETFs offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of high-quality stocks. Here a look at six global ETFs:...