Buy these ETFs for European exposure

Article Excerpt

Over the past decade, European companies have lagged well behind the top U.S. companies. Stagnating economies and a heavy regulatory burden on companies contributed to the weak stock market returns. But, Europe remains home to a number of global leaders in their respective fields—with many trading at discounted valuations compared to their U.S. competitors. Here are two ETFs that aim to benefit from the opportunities presented by leading European listed companies. The supplement on page 59 provides more information on the top companies held in these ETFs. VANGUARD DEVELOPED EUROPE ALL CAP ETF $39.83 (Toronto symbol VE; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $276.3 million) tracks the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. The largest holdings are in the U.K. (23%), followed by Switzerland (15%), France (15%), Germany (14%), the Netherlands (7%), Sweden (6%), Italy (5%), Spain (5%) and Denmark (4%). The main segment allocations are Financials (21%), Industrials (19%), Health Care (14%), Consumer Discretionary (12%), Consumer Staples (8%), Technology (8%) and Energy (5%). The ETF…