Cut your risk with these foreign ETFs

Article Excerpt

Investing outside of Canada and the U.S. can expose you to more volatility and risk. The sharp downturn in many foreign markets during the global recession proves this. But there are still countries and regions that offer lots of growth potential and opportunities for diversification. One of the best ways to invest in foreign markets is through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). That’s because directly investing in those markets can be complicated and risky, and high-quality ETFs let you make international investments with greater safety. As well, the best ETFs offer a great combination of low fees and top-quality stocks. Here are four foreign ETFs we like: ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL INDEX FUND $67.20 (New York Exchange symbol EWZ; buy or sell through brokers), is an exchange-traded fund that is designed to track the Brazilian stock market. The fund’s top holdings are Petrobras preferred shares (energy), 11.3%; Cia Vale do Rio Doce (mining) preferred shares, 10.4%; Petrobras common shares, 9.2%; Itau Unibanco Multiplo SA (banking), 8.3%; Cia…