One of the best methods of building wealth over time is to zero in on the shares of quality companies with a consistent history of sales and earnings (or the ETFs that hold them). Solid balance sheets and a strong hold on a growing clientele… Read More

A: We still feel that investors will profit the most with a well-balanced portfolio of high-quality individual stocks, but ETFs can also play a role in a portfolio. Here’s a look at the ETFs you’ve asked about:

Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF, $77.14, symbol XLE on… Read More

Traditionally, REITs are said to suffer when interest rates rise. That’s in part because their units, which typically offer high yields, compete with fixed-income instruments for investor interest. However, higher interest rates are usually accompanied by increased economic activity and growth. That higher growth is… Read More

This issue we look at the most successful North American ETF launches in 2018. Here “success” is measured in terms of the assets they’ve gathered since their start-up.
With that in mind, here are two of the most successful new launches in 2018.
COMMUNICATION SERVICES SELECT SECTOR… Read More

This month we look at an ETF that aims to track the newly reclassified S&P/MSCI “communication services” sector. The other seeks to find dividend-paying stocks that will thrive in a rising interest-rate environment.
COMMUNICATION SERVICES SELECT SECTOR SPDR ETF $46.30 (New York symbol XLC) tracks the newly reclassified “communication services”… Read More

An improved U.S. economy and low unemployment led the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates three times in 2017 and twice so far this year. That dampens the risk of a falling U.S. dollar and much-stronger inflation. Typically, both of those factors are needed… Read More

Higher oil prices continue to spur stock prices for an array of companies in the energy industry. That includes energy services stocks. Those firms assist drillers in setting up oil and gas wells. They also make, fix and maintain the equipment used in oil extraction… Read More

These two ETFs scored well at the annual Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards. That reflects their performance over the last three years, along with their scores in other key areas.

However, we continue to recommend investors limit their ETF selection to funds that track established… Read More