ETF Database » EWP

5 Things To Watch Out For In International Equity ETFs

Michael Johnston — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:36 +0000

As the ETF universe has expanded dramatically over the last several years, many investors have taken advantage of this asset class to tap into international equity markets. With single-country ETFs dedicated to dozens of developed and emerging markets, accessing the major (and not-so-major) stock markets around the globe has never been easier. When evaluating international equity ETFs–as with all ETFs–it is important to take a look under the hood and fully understand what the portfolio includes. Below, we highlight a few relatively common characteristics of international stock ETFs that might be somewhat disconcerting to investors [for more ETF insights, sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]: 1. Major Sector Biases Many international equity ETFs feature some big tilts towards certain sectors of the economy, giving heavy weightings to certain types of companies while overlooking others altogether. That can result in concentrated risk for investors, especially when ETFs highlight sectors such [...]

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Ten Unexpected Observations On YTD ETF Returns

Michael Johnston — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:00:16 +0000

With the finish line in sight, it’s fairly safe to say that 2011 will be remembered by most investors as a wild, back-and-forth year that brought plenty of both hope and despair. A hot start raised optimism of a continued recovery after a generally impressive 2011, but the summer months were anything but relaxing; major indexes suffered some of the worst losses since the recent recession. In examining the year-to-date performances for the 1,000+ ETPs that have been around since the beginning of the year, there are a number of interesting figures that jump out, including both pleasant surprises and bitter disappointments–and some that are just plain confusing [the complete, sortable, document is available in ETF Edge--sign up for a free 7-day trial to get full access]. 10. Commodities Holding Up This year has been a tumultuous period for risky assets, especially over the last several months. So I was [...]

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Eric Dutram Discusses ETFs And The European Debt Crisis On BNN

Michael Johnston — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:00:10 +0000

Earlier today, Eric Dutram, Analyst and Head of Editorial at ETF Database, was on BNN discussing ETFs that have been heavily impacted by the European debt crisis. In the interview, Eric gave his outlook for the European situation as well as some funds to avoid should events deteriorate further in the euro zone. Additionally, Eric also highlighted some products that could benefit from further turmoil in the region and even some safe haven picks that could be great choices for investors in this risky environment. See the full interview at BNN’s website or see all of the ETFs in the Europe ETFdb Category here. Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.Related Posts:World Cup Of ETFs: Plays On All 32 CountriesDaily ETF Roundup: VGK, EWZ SurgeInside The Europe ETF That Hasn’t PlummetedETF Plays For The End Of Europe’s RecessionEurope ETFs: All Over The Board

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Highlighting The PIIGS ETFs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:00:45 +0000

While reports of jobless rates in the U.S. or the pace of inflation in China occasionally pop to the top of the headlines, the last several months have seen the spotlight focused on European markets as the continent continues to battle a debt crisis that has threatened to derail a fragile economic recovery. While the fiscal woes have been felt throughout Europe, the impact has not been felt evenly. Some of the more financially stable markets, such as Germany, have held up quite well; the euro’s weakness has actually given a boost to export-driven markets whose goods have become more attractively priced to foreign buyers. At the opposite end of the risk spectrum from the relatively stable Germany, is the PIIGS group of economies that has emerged as a threat to bring down the entire euro zone. This group, which includes Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, are all facing [...]

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Three ETFs To Watch This Week: EWP, XLI, EWC

Eric Dutram — Mon, 23 May 2011 08:00:13 +0000

U.S. equities finished the week pretty much flat as losses in Monday and Tuesday trading were soon erased by solid performances out of the blue chips later in the week to push the S&P 500 back to roughly breakeven for the five day period. International markets didn’t fare much better on the week, and in many cases declined for the period as many investors sought out safe havens instead of risky international equities. Thanks to this slowly rising fear, gold did manage to once again break through the $1,500/oz. level finishing the week above $1,510. Meanwhile, oil was extremely volatile as the vital commodity declined to about $96/bbl. before surging higher in the mid-week timeframe only to end up at the $100/bbl. mark to end the week. In other news, LinkedIn, the business networking site, IPO’ed on Thursday, creating a wave of euphoria in the markets for everything ‘web 2.0′. [...]

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ETF Insider: Buying Opportunities After Panic Selling

Stoyan Bojinov — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:55:03 +0000

Weekly Recap Last week proved to be quite bumpy for investors, as asset classes from stocks to commodities–and everything in between–swayed between gains and losses for the last several trading days on Wall Street. Volatility was abundant across all markets and domestic equity indexes ended the week relatively flat, much like crude oil and silver futures. Gold, on the other hand, manged to stage a comeback and assert its appeal as a safe-haven asset class, ending the week higher and closing at $1,513 an ounce. Despite the weak performance of equities for much of the week, the U.S. dollar failed to gain ground versus major currencies, perhaps suggesting that this weeks losses were merely a sign of profit-taking versus a more meaningful shift in fundamentals. Weekly Outlook The coming week features a number of key earnings reports, bank meetings, and political events that should give markets direction as May winds [...]

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Thursday’s ETF To Watch: iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP)

Eric Dutram — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:00:39 +0000

The impact of the Middle East protests has reverberated around the world, with a sudden spike in oil prices threatening to pull the globe back into a recession. While crude has soared here in the U.S., events have been even more dramatic in Europe where Brent crude, the benchmark for the EMEA region, has skyrocketed to near $117/bbl. due to North African disruptions. Elevated energy prices are now a major threat to the still-fragile recovery, threatening to pinch consumers and businesses across the continent. As a result of the run-up in oil and inflationary pressures in other commodities as well, many economists believe that the ECB may be forced to hike rates sooner rather. For investors concerned about this scenario, today’s European Central Bank meeting in Frankfurt should help to shed some light on the situation and how Europe will proceed in coming weeks and months. While the European economy [...]

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Six ETFs That Surged In January

Michael Johnston — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:00:42 +0000

The first month of 2011 is in the books, and January certainly displayed no shortage of action for investors. Earnings season kicked off to a relatively strong start, though disappointments sprinkled throughout cast some doubt on the strength of an ongoing recovery. Last year was a good one for almost every asset class, with the vast majority of U.S.-listed ETFs turning in gains. And for the most part, that positive trend continued in January, with many ETFs inching higher. A handful of products raced ahead in January, posting double digit gains over the course of a single month. And many of the big winners from January were the few dogs of 2010; those that were battered last year staged sharp rebounds to start the new year. Below, we highlight a handful of exchange-traded products that gained at least 10% during January [for more ETF insights, sign up for our free [...]

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Three ETFs To Watch As China Invests In The Euro Zone

Jared Cummans — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:56 +0000

China has long been considered the world’s most important economies, thanks to its massive size, tremendous potential, and impressive growth rates over the last two decades. With a population that is rapidly urbanizing, many predict the Chinese economy will be the largest in the world within just a decade, potentially knocking the U.S. from the number one spot that it has held for so long. While China’s potential policy shifts and economic potential dominated the headlines for much of last year, the end of 2010 focused on a different corner of the globe as the euro zone struggled with looming debt crises that struck several nations. Countries like Greece and Ireland have already received bailouts, and others such as Spain and Portugal are on the brink of needing international intervention to stay afloat. While many have looked to the EU or the IMF to help these indebted nations, few have [...]

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Ten Worst Performing ETFs Of 2010

Michael Johnston — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:00:54 +0000

In general, 2010 has been a pretty solid year for most portfolios. Despite lingering concerns about unemployment and mounting debt burdens, most global equity markets have moved higher on the year. Commodity markets have been red hot, with prices of many natural resources climbing to new highs thanks to strong demand from emerging markets and a shaky dollar. And while bonds have shown exceptional volatility during the last 12 months, many fixed income securities have managed to deliver at least modest gains as well. But there have, of course, been some disappointments this year as well. Below, we offer up some potential inspiration for contrarian investors: a list of ten of the worst performing ETFs of 2010. Performance data is as of December 21, and this list excludes all leveraged and inverse funds, as well as any ETFs that began trading during the year: 10. iPath EUR/USD Exchange Rate ETN [...]

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