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Power and Profits of Energy Stocks has 35 tips on how to uncover tomorrow’s best energy stocks, insights on the future of renewable energy, how technology is changing the industry, and much more.

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 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 ETF $43.60 (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, 33.0%; South Korea, 12.9%; Taiwan, 11.5%; India, 9.0%; Brazil, 7.0%; South Africa, 6.2%; Russia, 3.8%; Mexico, 2.7%; Thailand, 2.3%; Indonesia, 2.1%; Malaysia, 2.1%; and Poland, 1.1%.


Its top stocks are Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 5.2%; Alibaba Group (China: e-commerce), 4.5%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.8%; Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.5%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 2.1%; China Construction Bank, 1.6%; Ping An Insurance Group (China), 1.1%; China Mobile, 1.1%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.0%; and Reliance Industries (India: conglomerate), 1.0%.


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

The iShares MSCI Ireland ETF focuses on the republic’s market leaders, although Brexit uncertainty increases risk for investors looking to benefit from the strong Irish economy.

Some ETFs promote a “scientific” strategy designed to cut their risk without cutting their gains.


Computer modelling is such an approach sound. In our view, though, it’s likely to detract from long-term returns. That’s what happens with many funds that use a so-called “black box” to pick stocks, even though it may work for a while, or in retrospect....

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 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....

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Declining commodity prices and international sanctions have hurt the Russian economy....

Declining commodity prices and international sanctions have hurt the Russian economy. But despite that, the country has proved surprisingly resilient. The economy is on a modest growth path, government finances are in reasonable shape, inflation is under control and the currency has stabilized.


Here is one ETF that provides exposure to the top Russian public companies.


VANECK VECTORS RUSSIA ETF $20.08 (New York symbol RSX; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $1.5 billion) tracks the MVIS Russia Index, which includes publicly traded companies that are incorporated in Russia or that are incorporated outside of Russia but have at least 50% of their revenues/related assets in Russia.


Energy firms account for 41% of its assets, with commodities at 23%; Financial Services, 12%; Consumer Defensive, 8%; and Technology, 7.0%.


The ETF holds a portfolio of 27 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up a high 56% of its assets....

One of the key lessons from financial market history is that stocks perform better than almost any other asset class over long periods. There will inevitably be periods of heightened volatility or even sustained market downturns. But at the same time, a focus on high-quality, dividend-paying companies will provide the best portfolio returns.


Here are two ETFs aimed at focusing on stocks that gain along with the market, but that also hold on to their value in market setbacks....

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 ETF $41.63 (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, 30.7%; South Korea, 14.0%; Taiwan, 11.6%; India, 8.6%; Brazil, 7.8%; South Africa, 6.2%; Russia, 3.8%; Mexico, 2.9%; Malaysia, 2.4%; Thailand, 2.4%; Indonesia, 2.1%; and Poland, 1.2%.


Its top stocks are Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 4.5%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.8%; Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.8%; Alibaba Group (China: e-commerce), 3.5%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 1.8%; China Construction Bank, 1.6%; China Mobile, 1.2%; Baidu (China: Internet), 1.1%; Ping An Insurance Group (China), 1.1%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.0%; Vale SA (Brazil: mining), 1.0%; and Reliance Industries (India: conglomerate), 0.9%.


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

BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS $118.81 (New York symbol BR; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (201-714-3000; www.broadridge.com; Shares outstanding: 116.3 million; Market cap: $13.8 billion; Dividend yield: 1.6%) serves the investment industry in three main areas: investor communications, securities processing and transaction clearing.


For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, revenue fell 1.9%, to $1.32 billion from $1.01 billion....