Good time to add telecom exposure

Article Excerpt

Telecommunications form an integral part of the economic infrastructure. Strict licensing standards and high capital requirements result in considerable barriers to entry. Despite slow growth, many of the major telecommunication companies have steady cash flows, high levels of profitability, and rising dividends. Nevertheless, the main telecom stocks are currently valued at a substantial discount to other infrastructure-type companies. Below we take a closer look at ETFs that hold companies involved in the telecommunications industry. The Supplement on page 30 delves deeper into the performance and valuation of telecommunication companies. FIRST TRUST NEXT GENERATION ETF $88.92 (New York symbol NXTG; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $369.3 million) tracks the First Trust Indxx NextG Index, which invests in companies that participate in the development and application of 5G technologies. The ETF allocates an equal weight to every holding, with 80% in 5G hardware and infrastructure and 20% in telecommunications service providers. The fund’s largest exposure is to semiconductors, integrated telecommunication services, and communications equipment. Companies domiciled…