ETFs

Exchange traded funds trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks. Investors can buy them on margin, or sell them short. The best exchange-traded funds offer well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios with exceptionally low management ETF fees. They are also very liquid.

Investors use ETFs in a variety of ways, and some investors work only with ETFs and no other type of investment in portfolio creation.

An amazing aspect of ETFs is their diversity. Some investors may create an entire portfolio solely from a few well-diversified ETFs.

ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks. That’s different from mutual funds, which you can only buy at the end of the day at a price that reflects the fund’s value at the close of trading.

Prices of ETFs are quoted in newspaper stock tables and online. You pay brokerage commissions to buy and sell them, but their low management fees give them a cost advantage over most mutual funds.

As well, shares are only added or removed when the underlying index changes. As a result of this low turnover, you won’t incur the regular capital gains taxes generated by the yearly distributions most conventional mutual funds pay out to unitholders.

ETFs have a place in every investor’s portfolio, at TSI Network we also recommend using our three-part Successful Investor strategy:

  1. Invest mainly in well-established companies;
  2. Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; the Consumer sector; Finance; Utilities);
  3. Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.

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ETFs Library Archives
They face ever-tightening government restrictions and high taxes, but many so-called “sin stocks"—companies focused on gambling, tobacco and alcohol—continue to deliver steady returns (see graphs).

Recession proof profits

This is no surprise considering that consumer spending on leisure, alcohol and tobacco is one of the least cyclical categories: people tend to maintain their spending on these products during recessions, as we saw in 2008 and 2009.

Highly profitable industries

The alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries are highly regulated, which creates barriers to entry for new competitors....
Smaller companies can generate higher returns than their larger counterparts, but they are often riskier and less liquid, and may underperform for long periods.

Small stocks are also more volatile in times of unsettled or falling markets.

Still, if you focus on the best-quality small companies— or ETFs that hold those stocks—they can be a worthwhile addition to a well-balanced portfolio.

Do small companies have an edge?

Small companies trading on U.S....
Insider buying and selling on public information is one of many factors worth considering when evaluating a stock.

But it’s a mistake to place too much importance on it—or any one or two investment indicators, or types of investment information.

In general, though, insiders only make substantial buys for one reason: they think the company has attractive investment appeal....
First, we look at a three-year-old fund that focuses on companies with substantial insider ownership. Then, we review two funds recently launched by ETF promoters. They aim to capitalize on blockchain technologies—currently a hot investment trend. That alone prompts us to recommend investors stay clear....
If an ETF manager, like Blackrock, goes bankrupt, it would then be the responsibility of the ETF’s board of directors to appoint a replacement manager, self-manage its fund, or make the decision to wind up its ETF. However, the bankruptcy should have little or no impact on the safety of investors’ money since the fund’s custodian would continue to hold the ETF’s assets on behalf of those unitholders.

But what if a major custodian—such as State Street Bank, Bank of New York Mellon or JP Morgan Chase—goes bankrupt?

In the unlikely event that a custodian did go bankrupt, the regulated segregation of client assets from the custodian’s own funds should keep the assets for the ETF’s investors safe.

In addition, in the event of the bankruptcy of a custodian, the assets of the ETF will be returned to the fund, although there could be a time delay....
Traditionally, governments have built and maintained airports, highways, and ports. More and more, in both developed and emerging countries, they are selling those assets to public and private buyers in order to raise revenue.

Here are two ETFs that hold some of those publicly traded buyers....
The May 2017 election of Emmanuel Macron as France’s new president ushered in a turnaround for the French stock market. Even so, the young leader will have to work hard to implement the tough reforms needed to further lift the French economy out of stagnation....
DIAGEO PLC ADR $134 (New York symbol DEO; market cap: $82.6 billion; Dividend yield: 2.5%) is one of the world’s largest premium alcoholic beverage companies. With leading brands Guinness beer, Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker scotch, Bailey’s liqueur and Captain Morgan rum, the U.K....
Traditional “sin stocks” include gambling, tobacco and alcohol. Many of the major companies focused on these areas continue to deliver expanding sales and profits. Still, investors need to factor in the risks of everchanging government laws and regulations, taxes and fickle consumers....
The ETF “graveyard” is full of well-intentioned funds that were liquidated by their promoters mostly because they failed to reach or maintain a profitable asset size.

During 2017, 104 Canadian ETFs were liquidated— about 16% of all exchange-traded funds in this country.

Liquidations normally follow an orderly process: First, an ETF promoter notifies investors around 30 days before a fund is to be liquidated....