VANGUARD TOTAL WORLD STOCK ETF $115.87 (New York symbol VT; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Conservative; Market cap: $49.3 billion) tracks the FTSE Global All-Cap Index. U.S. companies make up the largest component of the portfolio (58.7%), then Japan (6.1%), the U.K. (3.8%), Canada (2.7%), China (2.5%), France (2.4%),… Read More

VANECK VECTORS SOCIAL SENTIMENT ETF $22.00 (New York symbol BUZZ) follows the BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index. This index tracks the 75 large-cap U.S. stocks showing what it sees as the highest degree of “positive investor sentiment.”
The ETF aims to analyze millions of investment-related messages… Read More

High interest rates boost bond yields—and their appeal with investors. Conversely, those high or rising rates can hurt the appeal of high-yield utilities, and their shares, since utilities are then forced to pay higher interest on their debt. However, with interest rates falling in Canada,… Read More

ISHARES MSCI TAIWAN INDEX FUND, $55.27, is a buy for aggressive investors. The ETF (New York symbol EWT; buy or sell through brokers) gives you direct exposure to some of the top public companies of this East Asian powerhouse economy.
The fund’s largest holding is Taiwan Semiconductor at 23.8%… Read More

The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer,… Read More

GLOBAL X COPPER MINERS ETF, $47.22, is a buy. The ETF (New York symbol COPX; buy or sell through brokers; www.globalxfunds.com) lets you track the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, with 38 global mining and exploration firms. It started up in April 2010.
Canadian firms make up 37.4% of the… Read More

Most precious-metal stocks dropped, along with the market, in March 2020. They then quickly reversed that trend to soar for investors, in part because of gold’s appeal as a “safe harbour” in times of economic uncertainty. In fact, in August 2020, gold jumped to over… Read More

The technology industry can be extremely profitable—for those companies that get it right. However, the industry is dynamic and highly competitive, leaving a graveyard full of failed startups and once successful companies that were overtaken by competitors. Investors in this segment need to be extremely… Read More

Despite the significant long-term growth potential in food demand, the prices of agricultural commodities are volatile and as a group have performed poorly over the past 17 years. Still, many of the top companies involved in the industry have done well and outperformed the S&P… Read More

This month we look at new ETFs that use derivative instruments to target specific investment outcomes. The BMO U.S. Equity Buffer ETF aims to offer upside market gains, combined with limited protection against market declines. The Harvest Industrial Leaders Income ETF aims to supplement the… Read More

Tourism has become one of the major segments of Vietnam’s economy in recent years, but the industry was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the country’s tourism sector continues to recover following the reopening of its border to international tourists in March 2022.
The growth… Read More

The Vietnamese economy continues to expand steadily in the wake of the pandemic—with tourism playing a key role. Longer-term, it should also continue to attract foreign manufacturers looking to steer clear of any China-U.S. trade issues. Meanwhile, the country’s free-trade pact with the European Union… Read More

Information technology has been the best-performing market segment over the past 25 years, although there have been some big downs along with the big ups. Going forward, we still see top information technology stocks—and the ETFs that hold them—as an attractive component of an investor’s… Read More

Closed-end funds work with a fixed asset base invested in a portfolio of securities. The value of their assets rises and falls depending on how they invest. Their units trade like stocks, and most often on a stock exchange.
They may trade above the per-unit value… Read More

Crop and food prices will continue to fluctuate from year to year, but it’s a good bet that global food production and consumption will continue to increase. We think the best way to profit is through shares of well-established companies with a range of operations… Read More

ISHARES S&P/TSX REIT INDEX ETF, $15.09, is a hold. The ETF (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) lets investors tap all 16 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX REIT Index. Investors pay an MER of 0.61%, and the fund gives you a 5.1% yield.
The… Read More

INVESCO SOLAR ETF, $48.53, is a buy for aggressive investors. The ETF (New York symbol TAN; buy or sell through brokers) tracks solar-related companies (including technology firms and utilities) listed on global exchanges.
Its top holdings are First Solar (China; solar panels) at 16.0%; Enphase Energy (U.S.; home solar… Read More

Generally speaking, Canadians are blocked from buying mutual funds that are registered in the U.S. unless those funds are also registered with provincial securities commissions. (Moreover, some Canadian mutual funds are only available in a limited number of provinces.)
Investors in this country can, however, buy… Read More

Medium-sized companies are a bit like the proverbial middle child—they tend not to get as much attention from investors as the smallest or the biggest. But this creates opportunities for investors who are prepared to add the best of those stocks—or the ETFs that hold… Read More

Physical gold and silver have been strong performers over the past two decades even beating the S&P 500. Gold has also been much less volatile than the equity markets.
Investors shouldn’t overindulge in any one investment, and that includes gold, silver, platinum or any other precious… Read More