Switzerland’s outlook for investors is bright

Article Excerpt

Switzerland has a stable, export-oriented economy, which regularly ranks among the world’s most competitive. In addition, it is home to some of the top performing and best-known global companies. The Swiss economy continues to outperform the overall Euro area, aided by comparatively low inflation and interest rates, as well as by its large chemical and pharmaceutical industries, which are relatively insensitive to global business cycles. Here is one ETF that provides exposure to leading Swiss publicly traded companies. ISHARES MSCI SWITZERLAND ETF $47.38 (New York symbol EWL; TSI Network ETF Rating: Conservative; Market cap: $1.2 billion) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed Swiss companies. Healthcare companies account for 33% of the assets, while Consumer Defensive (21%), Financial Services (18%), Basic Materials (9%), and Industrials (9%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a portfolio of 41 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up a sizeable 67% of its assets. They are Nestle (Consumer Defensive, 18.2%), Novartis (Healthcare, 12.5%), Roche Holding (Healthcare, 11.0%), ABB (Industrials,…