Here’s a low-cost ETF to invest internationally

Article Excerpt

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%), Switzerland (2.4%) and India (2.3%). Information technology companies form a large part of the portfolio (at 28%), while Financials (16%), Healthcare (11%), Consumer Discretionary (12%), Industrials (12%), and Health Care (11%), are other key segments. The ETF holds a big portfolio of 9,777 stocks; the top 10 comprise 17% of its assets. Top holdings include Microsoft (3.7%), Apple (3.2%), Nvidia (2.6%), Amazon (2.0%), Alphabet (2.3%), and Berkshire Hathaway (0.8%). Non-U.S. stocks include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Novo Nordisk, ASML and Toyota. The ETF started up in June 2008 and charges a very low MER of 0.07%. It offers good liquidity, with an average of $179 million in units trading daily. The fund pays a fluctuating quarterly dividend; the dividend amounted…