Topic: How To Invest

Any thoughts on the Vanguard Total World Stock ETF or the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF?

Article Excerpt

Vanguard Total World Stock ETF, $43.25, symbol VT on New York (Shares outstanding: 14.8 million; Market cap: $640.6 million), aims to track the FTSE All-World Index. This index is made up of about 2,800 large- and mid-capitalization stocks of companies that are located in 47 countries, including both developed and emerging markets. The ETF’s stocks are chosen by market size (their market caps must be more than $100 million U.S.) and liquidity. The ETF’s expenses are 0.30% of its assets. It yields 1.5%. Vanguard Total World Stock ETF’s top holdings are Exxon Mobil, Microsoft, Apple, General Electric, Procter & Gamble Co. Nestle SA, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and BP plc. The ETF’s regional breakdown is as follows: North America, 45.8%; Europe, 26.3%; emerging markets, 14.3%; and the Pacific region, 13.6%. Vanguard Total World Stock ETF’s country breakdown includes: the U.S., 42.1%; Japan, 8.2%; the U.K, 8.2%; France, 4.5%; Canada, 3.7%; Australia, 3.5%; Germany, 3.1%; Switzerland,…