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The Indian economy continues to expand rapidly and increased consumption among a growing middle class is expected to support that growth over the medium term. The Indian stock market has also performed well over the past five years, easily beating the emerging markets index and keeping pace with the broad developed markets index....

We think foreign stocks can safely make up 10% of a conservative investor’s portfolio. One way is through exchange traded funds (ETFs) with an overseas focus. The best of those ETFs charge you very low management fees yet offer you 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 ETF, $44.79, is a buy for aggressive investors. The fund (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) is designed to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index; it gives you access to some of the world’s fastest growing markets.


The ETF’s geographic breakdown is as follows: China, 27.3%; Taiwan, 19.0%; India, 18.8%; South Korea, 10.0%; Brazil, 4.8%; Saudi Arabia, 3.9%; South Africa, 3.2%; Mexico, 1.9%; Indonesia, 1.6%; Thailand, 1.5%; and Malaysia, 1.4%.


Your biggest stock exposure through the fund is Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips) at 9.9% of assets; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 4.4%; Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 2.5%; Alibaba (China: e-commerce), 2.3%; Meituan Dianping (China: group buying/food delivery), 1.5%; Reliance Industries (India: conglomerate), 1.2%; HDFC Bank (India), 1.1%; and PDD Holdings (China: retail), 1.1%.


iShares launched the ETF on April 7, 2003....

iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF pays you a high 3.7% from 30 of Canada’s best stocks while emphasizing payout sustainability and growth.

ISHARES CORE MSCI CANADIAN QUALITY DIVIDEND INDEX ETF $30.08 (Toronto symbol XDIV; Units o/s: 57.8 million; Market cap: $1.7 billion; Dividend yield: 4.5%; www.blackrock.com/ca) aims to invest in Canadian stocks with above-average dividend yields and steady or increasing dividends....

When we last wrote about South Korea—in late 2022—we pointed out that the country’s stocks had seen a two-year run-up in prices and then a sharp decline. That left many high-quality companies trading at attractive valuations. Since that time the South Korean market has gained 25%, but is still well off its peak....

Banks and insurance companies have performed strongly over the past year, easily beating the main market indices. However, banks, in particular, use a lot of debt to boost returns, and are prone to volatility when they encounter problems.


We’ve always said most investors should diversify within the finance sector by holding not just banks, but also insurers, fund managers and so on....

ISHARES MSCI TAIWAN INDEX FUND, $53.60, is a buy for aggressive investors. The ETF (New York symbol EWT; buy or sell through brokers) gives you direct exposure to some of the top public companies of this East Asian powerhouse economy.


The fund’s largest holding is Taiwan Semiconductor at 22.7% of assets....

The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....

The underlying growth trends for healthcare remain strong as the global population grows older and emerging economies become wealthier.


Meanwhile, new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) will serve to boost the already-strong prospects of healthcare stocks by improving the management of patient diagnostics, administrative processes, and drug discoveries....

iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund charges a high management fee you can avoid by choosing a similar, cheaper fund in its place.