etf

Stock markets, especially in the developed world, continued their rise in May. Commodity-producing nations, including Canada, lead the way. Notably, ETFs holding gold and oil producers were some of the big winners for the month.


On the other hand, decliners in the month included a number of high-flying tech, Internet, and biotech ETFs....

This month we take a look at a new healthcare ETF from TD Asset Management, plus a very unique ETF from Horizons that focus on companies looking to develop psychedelic drugs for the treatment of mental illness.


TD Asset Management recently launched the TD Global Healthcare Leaders Index ETF $15.57 (Toronto symbol TDOC)....

Over the past few years, the Philippines has often made news headlines for the activities of its outspoken President. But the country also experienced a decade of strong economic growth—at least until the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020.


Here is one ETF that provides you with exposure to the top companies listed in the Philippines.


ISHARES MSCI PHILIPPINES ETF $31.90 (New York symbol EPHE; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $128.1 million) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed Philippine companies.


Industrial companies account for 31% of this ETF’s assets, while Real Estate (24%), Financials (16%), Utilities (7%), Consumer Discretionary (7%), and Communications (6%) are other key segments.


The ETF holds a portfolio of 40 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up 59.7% of its assets.


They are SM Prime Holdings (Real Estate, 11.1%), Ayala Land (Real Estate, 8.5%), SM Investments (Industrials, 7.1%), Ayala Corporation (Industrials, 6.3%), International Container Terminals (Industrials, 5.5%), Bank of Philippine Islands (Financials, 4.7%), JG Summit Holdings (Industrials, 4.7%), BDO Unibank (Financials, 4.7%), PLDT Inc (Communication, 3.9%), and Metropolitan Bank (Financials, 3.4%).


The ETF started up in June 2000 and charges an MER of 0.59%....

Both mutual funds and ETFs that employ ESG criteria in the selection of their holdings have garnered significant interest over the past years. Their global pool of mutual fund and ETF assets is now estimated at just under $2 trillion.


Europe is host to most of the funds, while Canada has $14.2 billion in ESG assets spread across 156 ESG funds....

Over the last few years, more and more ETF managers have launched funds focused on taking environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into account.


Sustainable investing offers some investors a lot of conceptual and emotional appeal. But does investing in these kind of stocks hurt your portfolio returns? Yes and no.


One way investing in sustainable ETFs can hurt performance is the ethical criteria used by some funds to select stocks could keep you out of promising investments with the power to boost your long-term portfolio returns....

Investor fads that are likely to blow over in a relatively short time will seldom be captured in an ETF. There is just not enough time for the manager to get the product to market and generate enough investor interest.


However, when fads become trends with longer expected time horizons, managers are eager to get products to waiting investors....

Closed-end funds work with a fixed asset base invested in a portfolio of securities. The value of their assets rises and falls depending on how they invest. Their units trade like stocks, and most often on a stock exchange.


They may trade above the per-unit value of the investments they hold—or, as brokers say, “at a premium” to their net asset value....

While inflation pressures appear to be rising, consumer prices have seen only modest increases so far. Still, factors leading to a sharper rise may be building. They include today’s very low interest rates and the massive spending and borrowing by governments around the world to inject money into the economy....

INVESCO SOLAR ETF, $77.67, is a buy for aggressive investors. The ETF (New York symbol TAN; buy or sell through brokers) tracks solar-related companies (including technology firms and utilities) listed on global exchanges.


The fund’s top holdings are Enphase Energy (U.S.: home solar systems) at 10.5%; SolarEdge Technologies (Israel: solar-power batteries), 10.2%; Xinyi Solar (China: solar panels), 6.8%; First Solar (China: solar panels), 6.4%; and Sunrun Inc....

VANECK VECTORS VIETNAM ETF, $19.81, is a buy for aggressive investors. This emerging-markets ETF (New York symbol VNM) lets you tap leading Vietnamese companies and foreign firms that get a significant share of their revenue from this Southeast Asian nation.


Your top holdings through this ETF are Vingroup (conglomerate), 9.1%; No Va Land Investment, 8.8%; Hoa Phat Group (iron and steel), 7.6%; Vietnam Dairy, 6.8%; Vinhomes (real estate), 6.4%; and the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, 5.3%....