While international ETF investing has proliferated over the past few years, many investors have focused on far-away economies, forgetting markets much closer to home that can offer compelling returns. Canada likely doesn’t come to mind when most investors are looking to achieve geographic diversification, but ‘The Great White North’ has one of the most diversified economies in the developed world. In addition, the country is fiscally sound, is home to banks that are in a position of strength, and enjoys favorable diplomatic relations around the world. With the eyes of the world soon to be focused on Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics, Canadians will have an opportunity to show the world what many investors have already discovered. [click to continue…]
The steady decline of the U.S. dollar has been one of the major stories of the second half of 2009, with a “perfect storm” of economic conditions sending the greenback to new lows against many of its major rivals. While a declining dollar isn’t nearly the problem that some make it out to be – a weak currency actually makes U.S. imports more attractive to foreign consumers – worries about a continued slide have all walks of investors, both hedgers and speculators, looking for efficient ways to achieve short exposure to the dollar. There are a number of ETFs that do just that, with each offering a unique risk and return profile.
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With a roller coaster six months behind us that saw no shortage of interesting twists and turns and unsuspected headlines, we’ve finally reached the midway point of 2009. Ahead of us is the highly anticipated “second half of 2009,” which for months we’ve heard will hold returns to growth, a recovering economy, and enough green [...]
