etf

Companies involved in the production of carbon-based energy have generally underperformed for investors over the past several years (see table at right).


Volatile commodity prices are nothing new to the industry, with both oil and natural gas prices now at about half the highs reached in mid-2014....

The year started with a bang as market volatility spiked. The killing of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani by U.S. forces, the rocket attack on a U.S. military camp in Iraq, the signing of a Phase 1 trade deal between the U.S. and China, and the rapid spread of a coronavirus originating from China’s Wuhan all contributed to the increase in volatility.


The Chinese stock market, commodity producers, shipping companies, airlines, and luxury goods sellers all came under heavy pressure as investors started to factor in the negative impact on companies affected by the virus outbreak in China....

This month we consider two new ETFs. The first offers you an actively managed portfolio of global dividend-payers; the second provides investors with some upside exposure to the S&P 500 along with some risk protection.


TD Bank launched the TD ACTIVE GLOBAL ENHANCED DIVIDEND ETF (Toronto symbol TGED) in May 2019.


This ETF invests in dividend-paying stocks from companies in developed markets around the world....

With output well ahead of China and Peru, Chile is the world’s leading miner of copper; its annual output of 6 million tonnes represents a third of global production, and copper accounts for 24% of Chile’s total exports. Investor gains in Chile directly or indirectly depend on copper.


The global demand for refined copper amounted to 24.5 million tonnes in 2018, with an average annual growth rate of 3.4% for the previous 15-year period....

Investors in Chile have benefited from the success of Latin America’s best-performing economy for the past two decades. During this time of rapid expansion, poverty levels fell (while consumer spending rose) and healthcare and education improved substantially....

An academic study titled “Would A Stock By Any Other Ticker Smell As Sweet?” examined the performance of companies with clever stock tickers such as Southwest (LUV), Internet America (GEEK), Lion Country Safari (GRRR), and Explosive Fabricators (BOOM).


This study found that between 1984 and 2004, a portfolio of clever-ticker stocks would have handed you substantially stronger gains than the overall market....

We continue to assess the merits of ETFs that have underperformed for investors over the past 3 years: Below we give you a snapshot of funds focused on global energy stocks, copper miners and U.S. telecoms. Each faces industry pressures that impact your returns....

Oil producers and providers of services to the oil industry, are increasingly under pressure to reduce carbon emissions.


Many of the integrated oil producers have already established extensive renewable energy operations that will grow and replace some of their oil production over time.


Overall, oil and gas companies spent 1.3% of their 2018 budgets on initiatives such as wind and solar power, battery storage or carbon capture.


Total, Shell, and Eni rank highest for leading the low-carbon transition while China’s CNOOC, Russia’s Rosneft and U.S.’s Marathon Oil lag further behind.


Royal Dutch Shell plans to spend between $2 billion and $3 billion every year on renewable energy between 2021 to 2025....

Lower management expense fees (MERs)are a key selling point for ETF investors. Indeed, this month, we highlight—as we do each issue—the MER for each funds we cover. Even so, it’s easy for investors to lose sight of what a difference even a few basis points makes to your return....

There’s no guarantee stocks that have underperformed for extended periods will perform better in the future; nevertheless, when quality companies end up at the bottom of performance rankings, but have low valuations and high dividend yields, they deserve a second look....