etf

Investors looking to generate current income from their stock portfolios typically start by looking for the highest-yielding shares. However, exceptionally high yields can be a sign of trouble ahead—they can signal imminent dividend cuts. One way around that risk is to invest instead in stocks (or ETFs that hold them) with solid, sustainable dividends....

ISHARES CHINA LARGE-CAP ETF, $45.80, is a hold for safety-conscious investors. The ETF (New York symbol FXI; buy or sell through brokers) tracks the 50 largest, most-liquid Chinese stocks. Investors pay a high 0.74% MER. The units yield 2.2%.

Top holdings for the $4.5 billion fund are Tencent (Internet), 9.2%; Alibaba (e-commerce), 9.2%; Meituan Dianping (group buying/food delivery), 8.6%; China Construction Bank, 5.4%; JD.com (e-commerce), 5.0%; Wuxi Biologics, 4.6%; Netease (Internet), 4.0%; Ping An Insurance, 4.0%; and Industrial & Commercial Bank, 3.8%.

Despite the new Democrat-led administration in the U.S., uncertainty over the China-U.S....

All of the major global stock markets fell at the initial outbreak of COVID-19. But many top markets have since rebounded. We think the outlook remains positive for quality stocks, and one way to profit from that—while cutting your risk—is to invest in quality ETFs.

Here’s a look at four international funds that we believe are well-suited for your new buying....

A: iShares Canadian Financial Monthly Income ETF, $7.63, symbol FIE on Toronto (Units outstanding: 113.4 million; Market cap: $865.3 million; www.blackrock.com/ca), invests primarily in the common shares, preferred shares and corporate bonds of firms in the Canadian finance industry.


The fund charges investors an MER of 0.89%, which is high by ETF standards....

A: Three main factors continue to drive demand for healthcare products and services: the rapid aging of the population in developed countries; the expansion of medical services in developing countries; and significant new developments in the field of medical technology and innovation.


The iShares Global Healthcare ETF, $80.06, symbol IXJ on New York (Units outstanding: 35.3 million; Market cap: $2.8 billion; www.ishares.com/us), invests globally in healthcare companies.

The fund tracks the S&P Global Healthcare Index....

This month we look at a new ETF from BMO that aims to capture “megatrends.” We also analyze an ETF that aims to pick winning stocks based on the social media attention these stocks receive.


The BMO MSCI INNOVATION INDEX ETF $29.36 (Toronto symbol ZINN), covers four different trends, namely genomics, fintech, next generation Internet, and industrial innovation....

Investors in Canadian-listed ETFs with non-Canadian international holdings effectively gain exposure to the currencies of the countries where those holdings are listed.


Investors in unhedged ETFs with foreign exposure will receive the foreign currency gains on the underlying securities, expressed in Canadian dollars....

The United Arab Emirates is a small country in a potentially volatile region, with neighbours like Yemen and Iran nearby. Still, it has used its oil riches wisely to diversify the economy and become a major commercial hub in the Middle East.


Here’s an ETF that provides exposure to the top companies listed in the UAE.


ISHARES MSCI UAE ETF $13.42 (New York symbol UAE; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $27.9 million) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed UAE companies.


Financial Services account for 51% of its assets, while Telecommunications (15%), Real Estate (14%), Industrials (10%), and Energy (5%) are other key segments.


The ETF has a portfolio of 32 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up a high 72% of its assets....

Demand for renewable energy continues to grow, supported by government incentives and technological advances that lower costs. Still, the broad increase in power needs worldwide—along with relatively cheap oil and natural gas prices—should keep fossil fuels as the primary energy source for years to come.


There is, however, room for both renewable and fossil fuel providers to operate profitably.


Here are two ETFs that aim to benefit from growing investor interest in renewable energy (see the supplement on page 50 for more information).


INVESCO GLOBAL CLEAN ENERGY ETF $31.05 (New York symbol PBD; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $425.4 million) invests in firms that focus on renewable sources of energy and technologies facilitating cleaner energy.


The ETF invests globally with the largest allocations to the U.S....

DEFIANCE NEXT-GEN SPAC DERIVED ETF $25.84 (New York symbol SPAK) invests in special purpose acquisition corporations (SPACs) and companies spawned from SPACs.


SPACs are companies with no commercial operations that are established solely to raise capital from investors to acquire operating businesses....