Here are some ways to assess an ETF’s risk

Article Excerpt

Investors looking for ETF gains—but with the least amount of risk—should ask these three key questions: Is the ETF well diversified? ETF portfolios that are well-diversified typically are less volatile and have a lower risk of capital loss. There are three common ways that equity ETFs can diversify their risks. First is the simple principle of not holding large weights in single stocks—this reduces the risk that an individual troubled company may disproportionately drag down overall portfolio performance. In general, ETF portfolios that hold around 30 different companies in similar proportions could be considered well diversified. Further diversification can be achieved by holding companies that operate in different parts of the world and in different economic sectors. The Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (symbol VT) is an example of an ETF that is highly diversified across geographies, sectors, and companies. This ETF holds a whopping 9,300 stocks with the top 10 holdings contributing only 15% of the assets. It also has a wide geographical spread of assets…