Two ETFs for low-fee foreign investing

Article Excerpt

Investing outside of Canada and the U.S. can expose you to more volatility and risk. That’s why we still think mutual funds are the best way for most investors to access these areas. And you can cut your costs by purchasing high-quality international exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like these two: ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL INDEX FUND $77.79 (New York Exchange symbol EWZ; buy or sell through brokers), is an ETF that is designed to track the Brazilian stock market. The fund’s top holdings are Petrobras preferred shares (energy), 12.5%; Petrobras common shares, 10.2%; Cia Vale do Rio Doce (mining) preferred shares, 9.4%; Cia Vale do Rio Doce common shares, 7.0%; Itau Unibanco Multiplo SA (banking), 7.8%; Banco Bradesco preferred shares (banking), 4.7%; Cia de Bebidas das Americas preferred shares (beer and other beverages), 3.2%; Cia Siderurgica Nacional SA (steel), 3.0%; Gerdau SA (steel), 2.4%; and OGX Petroleo e Gas Patricipa (energy), 2.4%. The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Materials, 28.5%; Energy, 25.9%; Financials, 19.5%;…