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ETFs

What are ETFs?

ETF is an acronym for exchange traded fund. These exchange traded funds are used to track indexes as closely as possible, since investors cannot actually buy an index outright.

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:

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

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ETFs Library Archives

ETFs

These ETFs aim to spot value investments

As their name implies, value stocks trade lower than their fundamentals would suggest. Investors perceive them as undervalued with the potential to rise. Even so, it’s best for you to zero in on the shares of quality companies with a consistent history of sales and earnings (or the ETFs that hold them)....

4 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

Pass on this ETF: Global X SuperDividend

GLOBAL X SUPERDIVIDEND ETF $21.23 (New York symbol SDIV) invests in 100 of the highest-yielding stocks worldwide.

Stocks in the fund’s portfolio are equally weighted to reduce the risk associated with a high exposure to individual companies....

1 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

Consumer staples stabilize your returns

Traditionally, the price of most stocks, and the ETFs that hold them, drop in market declines. However, certain segments generally perform better than the overall market. Below, we highlight three ETFs focused on firms that produce and sell consumer staples. They should, as in past downturns, bounce back faster than most segments if the market drops.

Meanwhile, the supplement starting on page 39 provides more information on the performance of various sectors during market declines.

VANGUARD CONSUMER STAPLES ETF $200.24 (New York symbol VDC; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $7.7 billion) tracks the MSCI U.S....

2 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

EVs are a plus for copper

GLOBAL X COPPER MINERS ETF, $35.55, is a buy. The ETF (New York symbol COPX; buy or sell through brokers; www.globalxfunds.com) lets you track the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, with 38 global mining and exploration firms....

1 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

These ETFs offer precious-metal gains

Most precious-metal stocks dropped, along with the market, in March 2020. They then quickly reversed that trend to soar for investors, in part because of gold’s appeal as a “safe harbour” in times of economic uncertainty. In fact, in August 2020, gold jumped to over $2,000 U.S....

2 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

Profit with top solar stocks

INVESCO SOLAR ETF, $42.01, is a buy for aggressive investors. The ETF (New York symbol TAN; buy or sell through brokers) tracks solar-related companies (including technology firms and utilities) listed on global exchanges.

Its top holdings are Enphase Energy (U.S.; home solar systems) at 12.6%; First Solar (China; solar panels), 10.7%; SolarEdge Technologies (Israel; solar-power batteries), 7.8%; Shoals Technologies (China; solar components), 5.7%; GCL Technology (China; polysilicon), 5.6%; and Sunrun (U.S.; panels), 5.6%.

The ETF’s MER is a relatively high 0.67%.

Renewable stocks have drifted down since early 2021; that follows big run-ups in 2020 on President Biden’s support for sun, wind and hydro power—plus strong investor interest in stocks gaining from environmental concerns....

1 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

These ETFs tap international growth

Generally speaking, Canadians are blocked from buying mutual funds that are registered in the U.S. unless those funds are also registered with provincial securities commissions. (Moreover, some Canadian mutual funds are only available in a limited number of provinces.)

Investors in this country can, however, buy exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, listed on U.S....

2 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

Two new ETFs for Canadian investors

Last year, Canada saw the listing of 164 new ETFs. This month we highlight two of the most successful new launches in 2023. The first is an balanced ETF, while the second invests in technology companies with a covered call strategy.

PURPOSE ACTIVE BALANCED ETF $21.61 (Toronto symbol PABF) invests in a diverse set of asset classes through ETFs as follows: fixed income (41%), North American equity (28%), international equity (20%), and gold (4%)....

1 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of small caps

Smaller companies can generate higher returns than their larger counterparts, but their shares are often riskier and less liquid, and may underperform for long periods.

Small cap 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....

2 min read

Pat McKeough

ETFs

U.S. new housing demand remains steady

The U.S. housing and homebuilding markets dropped in 2020 on fears that a COVID-induced catastrophe would disrupted the U.S. economy. The recovery, however, came quickly in 2021, aided by decades-low mortgage rates, limited housing supply, and a strong job market.

The recovery was nonetheless shortlived as the market slowed in 2022 on higher mortgage rates and weaker consumer confidence because of inflation....

2 min read

Pat McKeough

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The cornerstones of Pat’s strategy–value, diversification and timelines–make his newsletter, The Successful Investor, highly profitable while minimizing risk. His advice is no-nonsense, down-to-earth and based on solid research. You’ll know what to invest in and what to avoid.

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Investors Association of Canada
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Inner Circle Pro subscriber

Browse Premium Topics

Cannabis

Spinoffs

One of the ways a company can try to unlock its own hidden value is by creating a separate company out of a corporate subsidiary. The parent company can either sell stock in the new company to the public, or spin it off—hand the stock out to its own investors.

Dividend Stocks

Dividend stocks make cash payouts that serve as a way for companies to share the wealth they’ve accumulated. These payouts are drawn from earnings and cash flow and paid to the shareholders of the company. Typically, these dividends are paid quarterly, although they may be paid annually or even monthly as well.

ETFs

What are ETFs?

ETF is an acronym for exchange traded fund. These exchange traded funds are used to track indexes as closely as possible, since investors cannot actually buy an index outright.

Value Stocks

What are value stocks?

One of the sweetest and most profitable pleasures of successful investing is to buy high-quality “value stocks” (or stocks that are reasonably priced, if not cheap, in relation to its sales, earnings or assets), then hold on to them as mainstream investors recognize the value and push up the share price.

Blue Chip Stocks

Blue chip stocks are big, well-established, dividend-paying corporations with strong business prospects. These are companies that also have sound management that should be able to make the right moves to keep competing successfully in a changing marketplace.

Penny Stocks

A penny stock in general trades for under five dollars a share, and as the name implies, sometimes for pennies. Most of the time they’re young companies, or start-ups in speculative markets like mining or technology.

Growth Stocks

Growth stocks are companies that are likely to have sales and earnings growth well above market average. Frequently they pay few, if any, dividends. Instead they typically reinvest any extra cash flow to promote further growth. Chosen wisely—according to Pat McKeough’s advice—high-quality growth-oriented stocks can be worthwhile additions to most well-diversified portfolios.

Wealth Management

Wealth management is the practice of putting your savings to work so that it continues to grow over your lifetime and will also benefit your heirs. Wealth management encompasses many different areas of investing like long term investment planning and retirement planning.

Mining Stocks

Mining stocks are investments in companies that produce or explore for minerals. Some of these minerals include uranium, coal, molybdenum (which is used in steelmaking), copper, silver and gold. They are affected by fluctuating commodity prices in addition to their own business and operating risks.

How To Invest

Pat McKeough has been making investing for beginners simple—and profitable—by helping investors make big gains for more than 25 years. His advice to beginning investors is the same as it is for all investors: buy high-quality, mostly dividend paying stocks (or ETFs that hold these stocks) and evenly spread your investments over the five main economic sectors (Resources, Manufacturing, Finance, Utilities and Consumer). Pat also believes investors should avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight and focus on those with hidden or little-noticed assets.

Energy Stocks

What are energy stocks?

Businesses that work in the extraction, refining and delivery of energy sources such as natural gas, oil, uranium and coal, are considered energy stocks.