Six top global ETFs: 4 buys, 2 holds

Article Excerpt

We think conservative investors can hold up to 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is by choosing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with an overseas focus. The best ETFs continue to offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of highquality stocks. Here’s a look at four international ETFs we see as buys, and two we feel you should continue to hold. ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $41.20 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The fund’s geographic breakdown includes China, 26.9%; South Korea, 15.5%; Taiwan, 12.2%; India, 8.5%; Brazil, 6.9%; South Africa, 6.6%; Mexico, 3.6%; Russia, 3.4%; Indonesia, 2.5%; Malaysia, 2.4%; Thailand, 2.2%; and Poland, 1.3%. Its top holdings are Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 4.3%; Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 4.3%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.6%; Alibaba Group (China: e-commerce), 3.0%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 2.0%; China Construction Bank, 1.5%; China Mobile, 1.5%; Hon Hai Precision (Taiwan),…