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Gold has had a poor run since its peak of $1,950 U.S. an ounce in 2011; its current price of $1,174 an ounce is now 40% lower. Over the same period, stock markets have soared. This has led many investors to question the role of gold in their investment portfolios.
Gold has historically offset U.S....
Emerging markets, especially those in Latin America, saw a strong recovery in July. The iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF (New York symbol EWZ) gained 13.1%, while the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (New York symbol EWW) rose 11.9%....
Germany faces a number of challenges—its population is getting older and its workforce will start to shrink from 2020 onwards. In addition, its largest export markets, including the U.S. and the U.K., are less and less willing to run large trade deficits with Germany....
An improved U.S. economy and low unemployment led the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates three times in 2017 and twice so far this year. That dampens the risk of a falling U.S. dollar and much-stronger inflation. Typically, both of those factors are needed to significantly boost demand for gold.
Still, if you want exposure to gold, here are three low-fee ETFs.
SPDR GOLD SHARES ETF $111.21 (New York symbol GLD; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $11.9 billion) invests in gold bullion, using gold bars in the vaults of HSBC, Bank of England, UBS AG and others....
Still, if you want exposure to gold, here are three low-fee ETFs.
SPDR GOLD SHARES ETF $111.21 (New York symbol GLD; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $11.9 billion) invests in gold bullion, using gold bars in the vaults of HSBC, Bank of England, UBS AG and others....
Frontier markets are developing countries, but with economies considered still too small to be emerging markets. While risky, the best of frontier-market stocks offer good prospects for growth and strong fundamental value. Here are two ETFs that aim to benefit from those stocks and their markets....
An investment mania usually begins as a mass attraction to a specific investment, or investment area. It often ends up including a range of investments that bear only a passing resemblance to the original investment area.
The mania for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies over the last couple of years—which we think will end badly for most investors—is grounded in several factors....
The mania for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies over the last couple of years—which we think will end badly for most investors—is grounded in several factors....
We think foreign stocks can safely make up 10% of a conservative investor’s portfolio. One way is through the selection of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with an overseas focus.
The best of those ETFs continue to offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of high-quality stocks.
Here’s a look at four international ETFs we see as suitable for new buying and two others we feel you should continue to hold.
ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $44.46 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) is designed to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
The fund’s geographic breakdown is as follows: China, 31.4%; South Korea, 14.0%; Taiwan, 11.7%; India, 8.8%; South Africa, 6.6%; Brazil, 6.5%; Russia, 3.4%; Mexico, 3.1%; Malaysia, 2.4%; Thailand, 2.3%; Indonesia, 1.9%; and Poland, 1.2%.
Its top stocks are Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 5.0%; Alibaba Group (China: e-commerce), 4.1 %; Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.8%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.7%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 2.1%; China Construction Bank, 1.6%; Baidu (China: Internet), 1.3%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.0%; China Mobile, 1.0%; and Ping An Insurance Group (China), 0.9%.
iShares launched the ETF on April 7, 2003....
The best of those ETFs continue to offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of high-quality stocks.
Here’s a look at four international ETFs we see as suitable for new buying and two others we feel you should continue to hold.
ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $44.46 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) is designed to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
The fund’s geographic breakdown is as follows: China, 31.4%; South Korea, 14.0%; Taiwan, 11.7%; India, 8.8%; South Africa, 6.6%; Brazil, 6.5%; Russia, 3.4%; Mexico, 3.1%; Malaysia, 2.4%; Thailand, 2.3%; Indonesia, 1.9%; and Poland, 1.2%.
Its top stocks are Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 5.0%; Alibaba Group (China: e-commerce), 4.1 %; Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.8%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.7%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 2.1%; China Construction Bank, 1.6%; Baidu (China: Internet), 1.3%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.0%; China Mobile, 1.0%; and Ping An Insurance Group (China), 0.9%.
iShares launched the ETF on April 7, 2003....
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Investors holding energy and information technology ETFs have so far done well this year. Some of the top-performing ETFs for 2018 hold direct exposure to oil, such as the United States Oil Fund (New York symbol USO). It has gained 25.4%. Unfortunately, Canadian producers have lagged as low bitumen prices depressed sales for producers in the oil sands.
Information Technology also performed well for the first half of 2018....
Information Technology also performed well for the first half of 2018....