The U.K. is looking beyond Brexit and COVID

Article Excerpt

Last year was a difficult one for the U.K. and its economy due the coronavirus pandemic. But the outlook for 2021 is much more positive. The rebound will come from the easing of COVID-19 restrictions as the pandemic slows and from the government’s extensive stimulus spending. What’s more, while negotiations have been difficult—with more disruption and paperwork ahead for businesses on both sides—the U.K. and EU finally reached a zero-tariff, zero-quota trade deal at the end of 2020. Here’s an ETF that provides investors with exposure to the top public companies in the U.K. ISHARES MSCI UNITED KINGDOM ETF $30.07 (New York symbol EWU; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $2.9 billion) invests in publicly listed U.K. companies. Consumer defensive companies account for 21.4% of its assets, while Financials (19.6%), Healthcare (11.1%), Energy (11.0%), Mining (10.0%) Industrials (9.8%), and Consumer cyclicals (9.4%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a portfolio of 88 stocks; the top 10 make up 44.0% of its assets. Those top holdings include…