As the ETF industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, the universe of asset classes and investment strategies accessible through the exchange-traded wrapper has increased dramatically. In addition to funds offering exposure to natural resources and volatility–two asset classes previously beyond the reach of many investors–a number of products have popped up that seek to deliver opportunities to tap into intriguing investment methodologies in a cost efficient and time efficient manner.
One area of tremendous interest focuses on dividends; there are literally dozens of ETFs that are designed to concentrate exposure on dividend-paying stocks, from those linked to dividend-weighted methodologies to those with stringent consistency requirements for inclusion. Popular equity funds in the space include DOD, IDV, and HDV; while products with international flavor like PID, DWX, and EDIV can help investors expand the geographic scope of their portfolio’s holdings.
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For investors looking to generate current returns from the equity portion of their portfolio, there is no shortage of exchange-traded products offering attractive dividend yields in the current environment. From ETFs linked to dividend-weighted indexes to those that focus on companies with stellar distribution histories to simply sector-specific funds in high yield corners of the [...]
iShares announced the latest addition to its ETF lineup on Thursday, rolling out a fund that seeks to deliver exposure to U.S. companies that have consistently delivered relatively high dividend yields. The iShares High Dividend Equity Fund (HDV) will seek to replicate the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index, a benchmark that includes [...]
Celebrating the one year anniversary of their partnership on a commission-free ETF platform, iShares and Fidelity announced the expansion of a program that allows free trading of certain iShares ETFs. The addition of the five ETFs brings the total number of iShares products that can be traded commission-free in Fidelity accounts from 25 to 30:
As we enter year three of record low interest rates, many investors continue to face significant challenges in constructing a portfolio that delivers attractive current income without taking on considerable risks. With interest rates on investment grade fixed income securities pushed down, investors who require a constant stream of payments from their portfolios have been [...]
With interest rates at record lows and expected to remain depressed for the foreseeable future, investors have been forced to get creative in their hunt for current return. Some have shifted domestic fixed income holdings along the risk/return continuum, seeking out more attractive yields from junk bonds. Others have ventured beyond the U.S. borders, embracing [...]
Almost two months after an offshore explosion sparked one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history, the White House has stepped in to ensure that British oil giant BP is held accountable for cleanup efforts and the economic damage done (see Five ETFs To Watch After Obama’s Oval Office Speech). With public outrage towards [...]
Just as there are various “celebrity stock tickers” that every investor recognizes instantly (GOOG, MSFT, F, JNJ), there are some ETFs that everyone knows. Generally, these ETFs, such as SPY, GLD, and QQQQ, reflect the most widely-known investment strategies and asset classes. And while the 25 largest funds that account for more than half of [...]
